awkward

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awk·ward

(ôk′wərd)

adj.

1. Not graceful; ungainly.

a. Not dexterous; clumsy.

b. Clumsily or unskillfully performed: The opera was marred by an awkward aria.

a. Difficult to handle or manage: an awkward bundle to carry.

b. Difficult to effect; uncomfortable: an awkward pose.

a. Marked by or causing embarrassment or discomfort: an awkward remark; an awkward silence.

b. Requiring great tact, ingenuity, skill, and discretion: An awkward situation arose during the peace talks.

[Middle English awkeward, in the wrong way : awke, wrong (from Old Norse öfugr, backward; see apo- in Indo-European roots) + -ward, -ward.]

awk′ward·ly adv.

awk′ward·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.

awkward

(ˈɔːkwəd)

adj

1. lacking dexterity, proficiency, or skill; clumsy; inept: the new recruits were awkward in their exercises.

2. ungainly or inelegant in movements or posture: despite a great deal of practice she remained an awkward dancer.

3. unwieldy; difficult to use: an awkward implement.

4. embarrassing: an awkward moment.

5. embarrassed: he felt awkward about leaving.

6. difficult to deal with; requiring tact: an awkward situation; an awkward customer.

7. deliberately uncooperative or unhelpful: he could help but he is being awkward.

8. dangerous or difficult: an awkward ascent of the ridge.

9. obsolete perverse

[C14 awk, from Old Norse öfugr turned the wrong way round + -ward]

ˈawkwardly adv

ˈawkwardness n

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

awk•ward

(ˈɔk wərd)

adj.

1. lacking skill or dexterity; clumsy.

2. lacking grace or ease, as in movement or posture: an awkward gesture.

3. lacking social graces or manners.

4. ill-adapted for ease of use or handling: an awkward tool.

5. requiring caution; somewhat hazardous; dangerous: an awkward turn in the road.

6. hard to deal with; difficult; requiring skill or tact: an awkward situation.

7. embarrassing or inconvenient; caused by lack of social grace: an awkward moment.

8. Obs. untoward; perverse.

[1300–50; Middle English, =awk(e) backhanded, Old English *afoc (< Old Norse ǫfugr turned the wrong way) + -ward -ward]

awk′ward•ly, adv.

awk′ward•ness, n.

awkward

- Comes from Old Norse awk, "perverse," and weard, "in the direction of," i.e. "turned back upon itself" or "turned backward."

awkward

adjective

1. embarrassing, difficult, compromising, sensitive, embarrassed, painful, distressing, delicate, uncomfortable, tricky, trying, humiliating, unpleasant, sticky (informal), troublesome, perplexing, disconcerting, inconvenient, thorny, untimely, ill at ease, discomfiting, ticklish, inopportune, toe-curling (slang), cringeworthy (Brit. informal) There was an awkward moment when people had to decide where to stand.
embarrassing comfortable, pleasant

2. inconvenient, difficult, troublesome, cumbersome, unwieldy, unmanageable, clunky (informal), unhandy It was heavy enough to make it awkward to carry.
inconvenient easy, convenient, handy

3. clumsy, stiff, rude, blundering, coarse, bungling, lumbering, inept, unskilled, bumbling, unwieldy, ponderous, ungainly, gauche, gawky, uncouth, unrefined, artless, inelegant, uncoordinated, graceless, cack-handed (informal), unpolished, clownish, oafish, inexpert, maladroit, ill-bred, all thumbs, ungraceful, skill-less, unskilful, butterfingered (informal), unhandy, ham-fisted or ham-handed (informal) She made an awkward gesture with her hands.
clumsy graceful, skilful, adept, adroit, dexterous

4. uncooperative, trying, difficult, annoying, unpredictable, unreasonable, stubborn, troublesome, perverse, prickly, exasperating, irritable, intractable, vexing, unhelpful, touchy, obstinate, obstructive, bloody-minded (Brit. informal), chippy (informal), vexatious, hard to handle, disobliging She's got to an age where she's being awkward.

5. embarrassed, nervous, uncomfortable, uneasy, self-conscious He was rather awkward with his godson.

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

awkward

adjective

1. Lacking dexterity and grace in physical movement:

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

Slang: klutzy.

Idiom: all thumbs.

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

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

3. Characterized by inappropriateness and gracelessness, especially in expression:

ill-chosen, inappropriate, inept, infelicitous, unfortunate, unhappy.

4. Difficult to handle or manage:

bulky, clumsy, ungainly, unhandy, unmanageable, unwieldy.

5. Characterized by embarrassment and discomfort:

constrained, uncomfortable, uneasy.

Translations

حَرِج، مُحْرِج، مُربِكغَير بارِع، غَير لَبِق، غَير رَشيقمُحْرِج

neobratnýnepříjemnýtrapnýnešikovnýnevhodný

akavetkejtetpinligubekvemvanskelig

peinlich plump trotzig unbehaglich ungeschickt

άγαρμπος αδέξιος

patoso torpe peliagudo delicado desgarbado

kömpelövaikeahankalakiusallinen

délicat gauche gênant maladroit

neugodan

klunnalegurvandræîalegur

imbarazzante goffo impacciato incapace inetto

不器用な

서투른

negrabiainegrabumasnegrabusnejaukusnemalonus

lempīgsneērtsneveikls

lastig ongemakkelijk

pinlig ubekvem keitet klosset

dziwny

desajeitado embaraçoso

затруднительный неловкий неуклюжий

mučennelagodennerodennespretenzoprn

genantgeneradpinsam

งุ่มง่าม

aksi, beceriksiz, ters, sıkıntılı biçimsizcan sıkıcıhantal kaba

ngượng ngịu

笨拙的难处理的尴尬的

awkward

[ˈɔːkwəd] ADJ

1. (= inconvenient, difficult) [moment, time] → malo; [shape] → incómodo, poco práctico; [corner] → peligroso
have I called at an awkward moment? → ¿he llamado en mal momento?
this scandal comes at an awkward moment for the government → este escándalo llega en un momento difícil or en un mal momento para el gobierno
to be at an awkward age → estar en una edad difícil
he's being awkward about it → está poniendo inconvenientes
he's an awkward customer → es un tipo difícil, es un sujeto de cuidado
Thursday is awkward for me → el jueves no me viene bien
to make things awkward for sb → poner las cosas difíciles a algn, crear dificultades a algn
it would be awkward to postpone my trip again → sería difícil volver a aplazar mi viaje
it's not far, but it's awkward to get to by public transport → no está lejos, pero es complicado llegar en transporte público
it's very awkward to carry → es muy difícil de llevar

2. (= embarrassing, uncomfortable) [silence] → embarazoso; [problem, question] → delicado, difícil; [situation] → delicado, violento; [matter, subject] → delicado
to feel awkward → sentirse incómodo
he had always felt awkward with Clara → siempre se había sentido incómodo con Clara → nunca se había sentido a gusto con Clara
I felt awkward about asking her for a rise → me resultaba violento pedirle un aumento de sueldo
there was an awkward moment when → hubo un momento violento or embarazoso cuando ...
to put sb in an awkward position → poner a algn en una situación embarazosa or delicada, poner a algn en un compromiso

3. (= clumsy) [person, gesture, movement] → torpe; [phrasing] → poco elegante, torpe
to sleep in an awkward position → dormir en mala posición

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

awkward

[ˈɔːkwə^rd] adj

(= clumsy) [person, gesture] → gauche, maladroit(e)
awkward to carry → peu pratique à porter

(= inconvenient, difficult) [time] → peu opportun(e); [age] → ingrat(e)
at an awkward time → à un moment peu opportun
he's at an awkward age → il est dans l'âge ingrat
to be awkward for sb to do sth
It's a bit awkward for me to come and see you → Ce n'est pas très pratique pour moi de venir vous voir.

(= embarrassing) [question, situation] → gênant(e)
an awkward situation → une situation délicate

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

awkward

adj

(= difficult) → schwierig; time, moment, angle, shape → ungünstig; 4 o’clock is a bit awkward (for me) → 4 Uhr ist ein bisschen ungünstig or schlecht (inf) → (für mich); to make things awkward for somebody → jdm Schwierigkeiten machen; awkward customer → übler Bursche (inf)

(= embarrassing) → peinlich

(= embarrassed) → verlegen; (= shamefaced) → betreten; silence → betreten; I was at an awkward age → ich war in einem schwierigen Alter; I feel awkward about that → das ist mir unangenehm; I feel awkward about doing that → es ist mir unangenehm, das zu tun; to feel awkward in somebody’s company → sich in jds Gesellschaft (dat) → nicht wohlfühlen; I felt awkward when I had to … → es war mir unangenehm or peinlich, als ich … musste

(= clumsy) person, movement, style → unbeholfen

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

awkward

[ˈɔːkwəd] adj

a. (difficult, problem, question, situation, task) → delicato/a, difficile; (silence) → imbarazzante (Aut) (corner) → brutto/a; (inconvenient) → scomodo/a; (time, moment) → poco opportuno/a; (tool) → poco maneggevole, scomodo/a; (shape) → difficile
you've caught me at an awkward time → mi hai pescato in un momento poco opportuno
Friday is awkward for me → venerdì mi riesce scomodo
she's being awkward about it → sta rendendo la cosa un po' difficile
he's an awkward customer → è un tipo difficile

b. (clumsy, person) → goffo/a; (gesture, movement) → impacciato/a; (style, phrasing) → contorto/a
the awkward age → l'età difficile

awkward

(ˈoːkwəd) adjective

1. not graceful or elegant. an awkward movement.

2. difficult or causing difficulty, embarrassment etc. an awkward question; an awkward silence; His cut is in an awkward place.

ˈawkwardly adverb

ˈawkwardness noun

awkward

→ مُحْرِج trapný akavet ungünstig αδέξιος incómodo kömpelö gauche neugodan imbarazzante 不器用な 서투른 lastig keitet dziwny desajeitado, embaraçoso затруднительный generad งุ่มง่าม aksi, beceriksiz, ters, sıkıntılı ngượng ngịu 笨拙的

awkward

a. [movement] torpe; desmañado-a; [appearance] extraño-a;

___ feeling → sentimiento extraño.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

It's excessively awkward to mention it now, With the Snark, so to speak, at the door!

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Try that sort of answer when your wife or your daughter next worries you with an awkward question at an awkward time, and depend on the natural sweetness of women for kissing and making it up again at the next opportunity.

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"Kenneth MacNair was a first cousin of the Awkward Man's grandfather, and Ursula Townley was the belle of the Island in her day.

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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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Indeed, the crown alone betokened majesty; in all else the, Scarecrow King was but a simple scarecrow -- flimsy, awkward, and unsubstantial.

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"I must have physical exercise, or my temper'll certainly be ruined," he thought, and he determined he would go mowing, however awkward he might feel about it with his brother or the peasants.

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It is difficult to disconnect the idea of ships' anchors from the idea of the ship's chief mate - the man who sees them go down clear and come up sometimes foul; because not even the most unremitting care can always prevent a ship, swinging to winds and tide, from taking an awkward turn of the cable round stock or fluke.

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These were almost always awkward. Half the women of his time, to speak liberally, had flung themselves at his head, and out of this pernicious fashion many complications, some of them grave, had not failed to arise.

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Johnson, with all his faults, is a man to whom that great word "respectable" is always given, and I am known to be so intimate with his wife, his slighting me has an awkward look.

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He said all this slowly, detaching statement from statement with a little awkward silence, and he kept his kind, foolish eyes fixed on mine.

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It's a good scheme, too, but it makes it very awkward for me.

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The act was done quietly and naturally, and the awkward young fellow appreciated it.

Adj.	1.	awkward - causing inconvenience; "they arrived at an awkward time" inconvenient - not suited to your comfort, purpose or needs; "it is inconvenient not to have a telephone in the kitchen"; "the back hall is an inconvenient place for the telephone"
	2.	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" maladroit - not adroit; "a maladroit movement of his hand caused the car to swerve"; "a maladroit translation"; "maladroit propaganda" ugly - displeasing to the senses; "an ugly face"; "ugly furniture" graceful - characterized by beauty of movement, style, form, or execution
	3.	awkward - 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, clumsy 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.	awkward - 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, clumsy, cumbersome infelicitous - not appropriate in application; defective; "an infelicitous remark"; "infelicitous phrasing"; "the infelicitous typesetting was due to illegible copy"
	5.	awkward - 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" embarrassing, unenviable, sticky difficult, hard - not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; "a difficult task"; "nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access"; "difficult times"; "why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?"
	6.	awkward - 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" ill at ease, uneasy uncomfortable - conducive to or feeling mental discomfort; "this kind of life can prove disruptive and uncomfortable"; "the uncomfortable truth"; "grew uncomfortable beneath his appraising eye"; "an uncomfortable way of surprising me just when I felt surest"; "the teacher's presence at the conference made the child very uncomfortable"