ungainly

Adjective
US[uhn-geyn-lee]/ənˈɡeɪnli/3 syllables
Synonyms: gawkyclumsyclunkyunwieldyawkwardbunglesome

Open English WordNet

Adjective (2)ungainlier, ungainliest

  1. lacking grace in movement or posture“a gawky lad with long ungainly legs”“clumsy fingers”“what an ungainly creature a giraffe is”“heaved his unwieldy figure out of his chair”Synonyms: gawkyclumsyclunkyunwieldyOpposite gracefulSimilar awkward
  2. difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape“an awkward bundle to carry”“a load of bunglesome paraphernalia”“clumsy wooden shoes”“the cello, a rather ungainly instrument for a girl”Synonyms: awkwardbunglesomeclumsyOpposite wieldySimilar unwieldy, unmanageable

Related words ungainliness noun

Word of the day · Nov 9About this word
inexorableadjective

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Webster's Dictionary (1913)

Un·gain′ly adjective

Origin: OE. ungeinliche, adv., fr. ungein inconvenient; un- + Icel. gegn ready, serviceable; adv., against, opposite. See Un- not, and Gain, adjective, Again.

1. Not gainly; not expert or dexterous; clumsy; awkward; uncouth; as, an ungainly strut in walking.

His ungainly figure and eccentric manners.— Thomas Babington Macaulay

2. Unsuitable; unprofitable. obsolete Henry Hammond

Un·gain′ly adverb

In an ungainly manner.

Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54

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