Synonyms for awkward
ˈɔk wərdawk·ward

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. awkwardadjective

   Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments

   John was awkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practise to improve.

   Synonyms:
   lubberly, clumsy, ungraceful, unhandy

   Antonyms:
   skillful, dexterous, gainly, graceful

2. awkwardadjective

   Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction

   Synonyms:
   maladroit

   Antonyms:
   amiable, cool

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. awkward

   Awkward, from awk (kindred with off, from the Norwegian), is off-ward, turned the wrong way; it was anciently used of a back-handed or left-handed blow in battle, of squinting eyes, etc. Clumsy, on the other hand (from clumse, also through the Norwegian), signifies benumbed, stiffened with cold; this is the original meaning of clumsy fingers, clumsy limbs. Thus, awkward primarily refers to action, clumsy to condition. A tool, a vehicle, or the human frame may be clumsy in shape or build, awkward in motion. The clumsy man is almost of necessity awkward, but the awkward man may not be naturally clumsy. The finest untrained colt is awkward in harness; a horse that is clumsy in build can never be trained out of awkwardness. An awkward statement has an uncomfortable, and perhaps recoiling force; a statement that contains ill-assorted and incongruous material in ill-chosen language is clumsy. We speak of an awkward predicament, an awkward scrape. An awkward excuse commonly reflects on the one who offers it. We say the admitted facts have an awkward appearance. In none of these cases could clumsy be used. Clumsy is, however, applied to movements that seem as unsuitable as those of benumbed and stiffened limbs. A dancing bear is both clumsy and awkward.

   Synonyms:
   boorish, bungling, clownish, clumsy, gawky, maladroit, rough, uncouth, ungainly, unhandy, unskilful

   Antonyms:
   adroit, clever, dexterous, handy, skilful

   Preposition:
   The raw recruit is awkward in action; at the business.

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. awkward

   Synonyms:
   ungainly, clownish, clumsy, maladroit, unhandy, uncouth, rough, boorish, bungling, gawky

   Antonyms:
   neat, clever, dexterous, skilful, adroit, handy

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. awkwardadjective

   causing inconvenience

   "they arrived at an awkward time"

   Synonyms:
   uneasy, inept, ill at ease(p), ill-chosen, inapt, ungainly, cumbersome, embarrassing, bunglesome, sticky, unenviable, clumsy

   Antonyms:
   graceful, convenient, smooth, lithesome, lissom, wieldy, willowy, gracile, gainly, fluid, comfortable, lissome, felicitous, fluent, svelte, liquid, sylphlike, elegant, supple, lithe, slender, easy

2. awkwardadjective

   lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance

   "an awkward dancer"; "an awkward gesture"; "too awkward with a needle to make her own clothes"; "his clumsy fingers produced an awkward knot"

   Synonyms:
   uneasy, inept, ill at ease(p), ill-chosen, inapt, ungainly, cumbersome, embarrassing, bunglesome, sticky, unenviable, clumsy

   Antonyms:
   liquid, lissom, lithe, supple, svelte, lissome, elegant, smooth, fluid, graceful, felicitous, sylphlike, easy, gracile, slender, comfortable, convenient, willowy, fluent, gainly, wieldy, lithesome

3. awkward, bunglesome, clumsy, ungainlyadjective

   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:
   unenviable, ungainly, ill-chosen, fumbling, clumsy, inapt, gawky, bunglesome, cumbersome, bungling, inept, incompetent, unwieldy, embarrassing, clunky, ill at ease(p), uneasy, sticky

   Antonyms:
   convenient, gracile, smooth, sylphlike, gainly, fluid, lissome, wieldy, easy, elegant, felicitous, willowy, fluent, slender, lithesome, graceful, svelte, liquid, lissom, comfortable, supple, lithe

4. awkward, clumsy, cumbersome, inapt, inept, ill-chosenadjective

   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?"

   Synonyms:
   cumbrous, unenviable, feckless, ungainly, ill-chosen, tactless, fumbling, clumsy, inapt, gawky, bunglesome, cumbersome, bungling, inept, incompetent, unwieldy, embarrassing, clunky, ill at ease(p), uneasy, sticky

   Antonyms:
   fluid, liquid, svelte, elegant, felicitous, lithe, gracile, supple, lissom, gainly, wieldy, lissome, comfortable, easy, willowy, convenient, slender, graceful, lithesome, smooth, sylphlike, fluent

5. awkward, embarrassing, sticky, unenviableadjective

   hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment

   "awkward (or embarrassing or difficult) moments in the discussion"; "an awkward pause followed his remark"; "a sticky question"; "in the unenviable position of resorting to an act he had planned to save for the climax of the campaign"

   Synonyms:
   mortifying, unenviable, ungainly, ill-chosen, clumsy, inapt, glutinous, mucilaginous, viscous, bunglesome, muggy, cumbersome, viscid, inept, embarrassing, gummy, ill at ease(p), gluey, pasty, uneasy, steamy, sticky

   Antonyms:
   lissome, wieldy, gainly, willowy, elegant, svelte, liquid, lithesome, slender, easy, supple, lissom, fluid, graceful, smooth, fluent, lithe, comfortable, gracile, felicitous, sylphlike, convenient

6. awkward, ill at ease(p), uneasyadjective

   socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner

   "awkward and reserved at parties"; "ill at ease among eddies of people he didn't know"; "was always uneasy with strangers"

   Antonyms:
   fluent, sylphlike, easy, wieldy, slender, smooth, fluid, liquid, willowy, graceful, elegant, lissom, felicitous, convenient, svelte, lithesome, supple, comfortable, lithe, gracile, gainly, lissome

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. gouche

   Submitted by anonymous on December 28, 2020  

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. awkwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   unskilful, bungling, unhandy, maladroit, inapt, without dexterity

2. awkwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   unwieldy, unmanageable, inconvenient, unfit, lumbering

3. awkwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   uncouth, unrefined, unpolished, uncourtly, rude, rough, clumsy, coarse, wooden, inelegant, ungainly, untoward, ungraceful, stiff, constrained, uneasy, rustic, boorish, clownish, loutish, gawky, lubberly, slouching

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. awkwardadjective

   Synonyms:
   clumsy, ungraceful, bungling, maladroit, gawky, inelegant, ungainly, loutish, unskillful, unwieldy, uncourtly, embarrassing

   Antonyms:
   graceful, dexterous, deft, courtly, elegant, adroit, clever

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "awkward":

   embarrassing, clumsy, uncomfortable, inconvenient, weird, delicate, strange, butterhook, difficult, unpleasant, embarrassed, cumbersome, troublesome, thankless, sensitive, odd, tricky

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How to use awkward in a sentence?

1. John Kasaona:

   It was a very awkward situation, the colonial government's department of conservation started opening up pots in the local communities to see what was in those pots.

2. Thornton Wilder:

   Many great writers have been extraordinarily awkward in daily exchange, but the greatest give the impression that their style was nursed by the closest attention to colloquial speech.

3. George:

   People love to admit they have bad handwriting or that they can't do math. And they will readily admit to being awkward 'I'm such a klutz' But they will never admit to having a poor sense of humor or being a bad driver.

4. Sukumar Vijayaraghavan:

   I rated him quite highly, he was quiet, definitely socially awkward, but someone who had the caliber to join the program.

5. Mary Lorraine Buckley:

   Husbands are awkward things to deal with even keeping them in hot water will not make them tender.