clumsy

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clum·sy

(klŭm′zē)

adj. clum·si·er, clum·si·est

1. Lacking physical coordination, skill, or grace; awkward.

2. Awkwardly constructed; unwieldy: clumsy wooden shoes; a clumsy sentence.

3. Gauche; inept: a clumsy excuse.

[From obsolete clumse, to be numb with cold, from Middle English clomsen, of Scandinavian origin.]

clum′si·ly adv.

clum′si·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

clumsy

(ˈklʌmzɪ)

adj, -sier or -siest

1. lacking in skill or physical coordination

2. awkwardly constructed or contrived

[C16 (in obsolete sense: benumbed with cold; hence, awkward): perhaps from C13 dialect clumse to benumb, probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect klumsig numb]

ˈclumsily adv

ˈclumsiness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

clum•sy

(ˈklʌm zi)

adj. -si•er, -si•est.

1. awkward in movement or action; lacking skill or grace.

2. awkwardly done; ill-contrived: a clumsy apology.

[1590–1600; clums benumbed with cold; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold]

clum′si•ly, adv.

clum′si•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Adj.	1.	clumsy - 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" clunky, gawky, ungainly, unwieldy awkward - 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"
	2.	clumsy - 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?" ill-chosen, inapt, inept, cumbersome, awkward infelicitous - not appropriate in application; defective; "an infelicitous remark"; "infelicitous phrasing"; "the infelicitous typesetting was due to illegible copy"
	3.	clumsy - 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" bunglesome, ungainly, awkward unmanageable, unwieldy - difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape; "we set about towing the unwieldy structure into the shelter"; "almost dropped the unwieldy parcel"
	4.	clumsy - showing lack of skill or aptitude; "a bungling workman"; "did a clumsy job"; "his fumbling attempt to put up a shelf" bungling, fumbling, incompetent unskilled - not having or showing or requiring special skill or proficiency; "unskilled in the art of rhetoric"; "an enthusiastic but unskillful mountain climber"; "unskilled labor"; "workers in unskilled occupations are finding fewer and fewer job opportunities"; "unskilled workmanship"

clumsy

adjective

1. awkward, blundering, bungling, lumbering, inept, bumbling, ponderous, ungainly, gauche, accident-prone, gawky, heavy, uncoordinated, cack-handed (informal), inexpert, maladroit, ham-handed (informal), like a bull in a china shop, klutzy (U.S. & Canad. slang), unskilful, butterfingered (informal), ham-fisted (informal) I'd never seen a clumsier, less coordinated boxer.
awkward expert, competent, graceful, skilful, adept, deft, proficient, adroit, dexterous, handy

2. unwieldy, ill-shaped, unhandy, clunky (informal) The keyboard is a large and clumsy instrument.

3. insensitive, gauche, tactless, uncouth, graceless a clumsy attempt at humour

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

clumsy

adjective

1. Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement:

awkward, gawky, graceless, inept, lumpish, maladroit, ungainly, ungraceful.

Slang: klutzy.

Idiom: all thumbs.

2. Difficult to handle or manage:

awkward, bulky, ungainly, unhandy, unmanageable, unwieldy.

3. Clumsily lacking in the ability to do or perform:

awkward, bumbling, gauche, heavy-handed, inept, maladroit, unskillful.

4. Lacking sensitivity and skill in dealing with others:

brash, gauche, impolitic, indelicate, maladroit, tactless, undiplomatic, unpolitic, untactful.

Translations

أَخْرَقثَقيلُ الحَرَكَه، مُرْتَبِك اليَدَيْن

nemotorný

kluntetklodset

ungeschickt klobig plump schwerfällig tollpatschig

αδέξιος άτσαλος άγαρμπος

torpe

kohmakasrohmakas

kömpelö

gauche maladroit

nespretan

ügyetlenbalkezesesetlenotrombaszakszerűtlen

klunnalegur

goffaggine goffamente goffo maldestro

不器用な

서투른

nerangiai

neveikls

onhandigstuntelig

klønet klosset

niezgrabny

desajeitado

неуклюжий неловкий неповоротливый

neroden

klumpig

งุ่มง่าม

sakar

vụng về

笨拙的

clumsy

[ˈklʌmzɪ] ADJ (clumsier (compar) (clumsiest (superl)))

1. (= awkward) [person, action] → torpe, patoso; [movement] → torpe, desgarbado; [remark, apology] → torpe, poco delicado; [tool] → pesado, difícil de manejar

2. (= crudely made) [painting, forgery] → tosco, chapucero

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

clumsy

[ˈklʌmzi] adj

[person] (= awkward) → gauche, maladroit(e)

[style] → lourd(e); [translation] → maladroit(e)

(= blundering) [statement, action] → maladroit(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

clumsy

adj (+er)

→ ungeschickt; (= all thumbs also) → tollpatschig; (= ungainly) → schwerfällig

(= unwieldy) → plump; tool also → wuchtig, klobig; shape also → unförmig, klobig; (= inelegant) prose, translation etc → schwerfällig, unbeholfen; (= careless) mistake → dumm

(= awkward, tactless) → plump, ungeschickt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

clumsy

[ˈklʌmzɪ] adj (person, action, gesture) → goffo/a, maldestro/a; (painting, forgery) → malfatto/a; (object) → mal costruito/a; (tool) → poco pratico/a; (remark) → maldestro/a; (apology) → goffo/a

clumsy

(ˈklamzi) adjective

awkward in movement etc. He's very clumsy – he's always dropping things.

ˈclumsily adverb

ˈclumsiness noun

clumsy

→ أَخْرَق nemotorný kluntet ungeschickt άτσαλος torpe kömpelö gauche nespretan maldestro 不器用な 서투른 onhandig klosset niezgrabny desajeitado неуклюжий klumpig งุ่มง่าม sakar vụng về 笨拙的

clumsy

adj torpe

References in classic literature ?

As a general practitioner, he might have bought a comfortable business, with a house and snug surgery-shop attached; but the son-in-law of Lady Malkinshaw was obliged to hold up his head, and set up his carriage, and live in a street near a fashionable square, and keep an expensive and clumsy footman to answer the door, instead of a cheap and tidy housemaid.

View in context

It was a poor, awkward, and clumsy organization, which stood with lowered head and supplicating eyes before a lofty and profound, a powerful and superior intellect.

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I have no doubt they got ashore, in that calm weather (making all due allowance for fatigue and clumsy rowing), before day-break.

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I had thought up to that moment of the adventures before me, not at all of the home that I was leaving; and now, at sight of this clumsy stranger, who was to stay here in my place beside my mother, I had my first attack of tears.

View in context

He was, I could see, a misshapen man, short, broad, and clumsy, with a crooked back, a hairy neck, and a head sunk between his shoulders.

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It looked clumsy, but the Tin Woodman was sure it was strong and would answer their purpose.

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"In its clumsy way, it does approach Peace and Goodwill.

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The famous little Becky Puppet has been pronounced to be uncommonly flexible in the joints, and lively on the wire; the Amelia Doll, though it has had a smaller circle of admirers, has yet been carved and dressed with the greatest care by the artist; the Dobbin Figure, though apparently clumsy, yet dances in a very amusing and natural manner; the Little Boys' Dance has been liked by some; and please to remark the richly dressed figure of the Wicked Nobleman, on which no expense has been spared, and which Old Nick will fetch away at the end of this singular performance.

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It was not long before they grew quite at home, and played tricks with their clumsy guest.

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He makes clumsy attempts to enter into conversation with me.

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Later on, when I was an international spy, I should have been less clumsy, I am sure.

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There was something fungoid in the oily brown skin, something in the clumsy deliberation of the tedi- ous movements unspeakably nasty.