[syn: awkward, clumsy, cumbersome, inapt, inept, ill-chosen]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
cumbersome \cum"ber*some\ (k?m"b?r-s?m), a.
1. Burdensome or hindering, as a weight or drag;
embarrassing; vexatious; cumbrous.
[1913 Webster]
To perform a cumbersome obedience. --Sir. P.
Sidney.
[1913 Webster]
2. Not easily managed; as, a cumbersome contrivance or
machine.
[1913 Webster]
He holds them in utter contempt, as lumbering,
cumbersome, circuitous. --I. Taylor.
-- Cum"ber*some*ly, adv. -- Cum"ber*some*ness,n.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cumbersome
adj 1: difficult to handle or use especially because of size or
weight; "a cumbersome piece of machinery"; "cumbrous
protective clothing" [syn: cumbersome, cumbrous]
2: not elegant or graceful in expression; "an awkward prose
style"; "a clumsy apology"; "his cumbersome writing style";
"if the rumor is true, can anything be more inept than to
repeat it now?" [syn: awkward, clumsy, cumbersome,
inapt, inept, ill-chosen]
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
65 Moby Thesaurus words for "cumbersome":
all thumbs, awkward, blunderheaded, blundering, boorish, bulky,
bumbling, bungling, burdensome, butterfingered, careless, clownish,
clumsy, clumsy-fisted, contrary, crosswise, cumbrous, elephantine,
encumbering, fingers all thumbs, fumbling, gauche, gawkish, gawky,
graceless, ham-fisted, ham-handed, hampering, heavy-handed,
hulking, hulky, impedimental, impeding, impeditive, impractical,
inconvenient, incumbent, inelegant, irksome, left-hand,
left-handed, loutish, lubberly, lumbering, lumpish, lumpy,
maladroit, massive, massy, oafish, onerous, oppressive, perverse,
ponderous, sloppy, stiff, superincumbent, tiresome, uncouth,
ungainly, ungraceful, unhandy, unmanageable, unwieldy, wearisome