1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the tree cutter was crushing any unlucky petunias that lay in the path of his ungainly tread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ungainly
Straining for its ungainly combination of action, romance and silly comedy, Love Hurts doesn’t fully succeed in any department.
—
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But then, only an actor who doesn’t quite fit in could have brought László to life with his ungainly, spirited passion, vanity and self-belief intact.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
The apparent impact is on video, with the ungainly trims placed on the picture demanded by a wide corner a thing of the past on the S25 Utlra.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
With two soldiers able to wrestle the ungainly seven foot long M20 into position on its tripod, the mobility of such a lethal system proved to be a game changer.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
But then, only an actor who doesn’t quite fit in could have brought László to life with his ungainly, spirited passion, vanity and self-belief intact.
—Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
The apparent impact is on video, with the ungainly trims placed on the picture demanded by a wide corner a thing of the past on the S25 Utlra.
—Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
With two soldiers able to wrestle the ungainly seven foot long M20 into position on its tripod, the mobility of such a lethal system proved to be a game changer.
—Mike Hanlon, New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
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These transitions, between past and present, are sometimes clumsy but sometimes genuinely sweet, as with an old letter that near-simultaneously is dictated and written, received and read, and finally rediscovered (and only partially understood) in the 21st century.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
27 May 2025
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Wildlife officials helped remove a black bear found hanging out in the kitchen of a Kentucky home after an impressive, yet clumsy break-in, photos show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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Eddie's real parentage is revealed, Maeve is outed, Kevin catches up with Rusby, Bella brokers her deal, and Alice attends an awkward Harrigan dinner.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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There is also an awkward disconnect: Gmail’s recent encryption upgrade clashes with its AI upgrades.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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But as evening hours set in, the upbeat tone stood at odds with the unwieldy scene at the Capitol.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Chicago Tribune,
21 May 2025
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There’s a lot of comedy in the unwieldy quadrilateral chest panel of Alex’s dress.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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The one big cable that neither of the solutions could easily eliminate, however, is the big, gawky PCI Express power cable that runs in and out of a graphics card, which to an extent spoils the effect.—
John Burek,
PC Magazine,
20 May 2025
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Crumb’s gawky, eccentric persona was first revealed to the wider public in a 1994 documentary made by his friend Terry Zwigoff, which portrays the cartoonist with all of his incongruities.—
Gal Beckerman,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Their goal is also to reduce stress for breastfeeding parents and avoid the cumbersome use of pre- and post-feed weighing of infants.—
Melissa Willets,
Parents,
26 May 2025
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Although effective, such tests are both expensive and cumbersome and probably not efficient enough to handle the growing need for early diagnosis.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
20 May 2025
Adjective
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It’s maintained an idiosyncratic spirit all along, combining references from across rock history—a Bob Dylan harmonica line here, a Cars synth line there—with lyrics that unspool in unsteady, careening cadences.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
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Not only that, but he was being fed an unsteady diet of cockroaches.—
Charlie Mason,
TVLine,
4 May 2025
Adjective
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Like guttering candles, the rebellion spent itself in uncoordinated risings at different times in different parts of the country.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
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For years, poor governance has doomed the Chicago region to an inefficient, uncoordinated transit system that fails to adequately serve its riders.—
Joe Ferguson,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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