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View synonyms for

clumsy

[ kluhm-zee ]

adjective

clumsier, clumsiest.
  1. awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace:

    He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  2. awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived:

    He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology.

    Synonyms: , , , , , ,

    Antonyms: ,



clumsy

/ ˈʌɪ /

adjective

  1. lacking in skill or physical coordination
  2. awkwardly constructed or contrived
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈܳԱ, noun
  • ˈܳ, adverb
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Other Word Forms

  • ܳ·· adverb
  • ܳ··Ա noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy1

1590–1600; clums benumbed with cold (now obsolete) + -y 1; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold, dialectal Swedish klumsig benumbed, awkward, klums numbskull, Old Norse klumsa lockjaw. See clam 2
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Word History and Origins

Origin of clumsy1

C16 (in obsolete sense: benumbed with cold; hence, awkward): perhaps from C13 dialect clumse to benumb, probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect klumsig numb
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

When the gags arrive, they’re clumsy and desperate: a discordant vomit explosion, some shenanigans at a court house.

From

A late-season confrontation between a major character and a new mysterious threat is especially clumsy and ultimately unnecessary.

From

Occasionally prone to a clumsy comment in the media, Brook last year was criticised for saying "who cares?" when asked about some of England's dismissals in an ODI defeat by Australia.

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A clumsy cut and a muscular body double made it clear the joke was on the audience: Madison wasn’t actually the one pole dancing.

From

But because the film is too burdened trying to keep its clumsy mystery moving in a straight line, it never settles into any one flavor of weirdness long enough for the viewer to enjoy.

From

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clumsinessclung