ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Clumsy

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /ˈklʌmzi/ · Part of speech adjective

Quick meaning: Clumsy is an adjective meaning Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.

Meaning

Awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dextrous.

More Meanings

  1. Not elegant or well-planned, lacking tact or subtlety.
  2. Awkward or inefficient in use or construction, difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape.
  3. (informal, fairly rare) A clumsy person.

Example Sentences

What a clumsy joke
It is a clumsy solution, but it might work for now.
He's very clumsy. I wouldn't trust him with carrying the dishes.
On the stairs he met Ellen, the housemaid, and as he passed her he knocked the hot-water jug out of her hand. “Well, you are a clumsy,” said Ellen, as she bent down to mop up the water.

Word Forms

Synonyms for clumsy

Depending on context, synonyms include butterfingers, galoot, klutz, bumbling, cumbersome, inept.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include clunky, ungainly, gawky, bunglesome, bungling, fumbling.

Related Dictionary Tools

Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.