1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
preteens feeling awkward at their first formal dance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clumsy
showing or marked by a lack of skill and tact (as in dealing with a situation)
her awkward handling of the seating arrangements at the wedding reception resulted in many hurt feelings
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
the awkward situation of having to listen as your host and hostess quarrel loudly in the next room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in annoying
causing difficulty, discomfort, or annoyance
our surprise guests came at a very awkward time
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in cumbersome
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
that manual can opener is awkward to hold
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in unsteady
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
an awkward person who is always tripping over herself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
7
as in unhandy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
an awkward catch of a fly ball
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of awkward
There’s an awkward mix of comic highjinks and violence, melodramatic moments, dead spots and repetition.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Their interactions are, at first, awkward.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Big sound, big savings, and zero awkward silence.
—PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.
—Steve Sedgwick, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awkward
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Sep. 2025
Their interactions are, at first, awkward.
—Jake Coyle, Boston Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Big sound, big savings, and zero awkward silence.
—PC Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
But all friends need to be honest with each other, to tell each other home truths when it’s needed, to confront those awkward moments without fear of the reaction.
—Steve Sedgwick, CNBC, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for awkward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for awkward
Adjective
-
Fear of uncomfortable conversations creates cultures of dishonesty, making innovation impossible.—
Curt Steinhorst,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
-
More than half reported feeling uncomfortable about their own or someone else's smelly shoes, and 90 percent kept their shoes in a shoe rack.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the afterglow of the finale, outlets hit publish on SEO-bait around who did what, and clumsy think pieces like this one followed.—
Thomas Page,
CNN Money,
18 Sep. 2025
-
His paranoia, played with clumsy charm by a mustachioed and bleary-eyed Leonardo DiCaprio, is half-cocked and somewhat comical.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter’s socially embarrassing pregnancy.—
Rafael Romo,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Beyond that, people found the Mitfords’ very, very aristocratic accent extremely annoying.—
Mimi Pond,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Here's how to erase annoying scratches from hardwood floors.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The result is slow, siloed and cumbersome for all parties involved.—
Jason Truppi,
Fortune,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Kazlauskas told Ars that about 300 users can be added each day due to the cumbersome and allegedly shifting process for porting over data.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But Sky Sports has since reported that Ashworth thought Amorim was the wrong choice and would cause more disruption to an already unsteady ship.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Frazier came out of his corner in the 14th all but blind, rocking on unsteady legs.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Earlier this year, Stewart admitted the thought left him uneasy.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
This stirs an uneasy thought in the astrobiologist’s mind.—
Dirk Schulze-Makuch,
Big Think,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Clearly frustrated, Palencia gave up five runs and recorded zero outs during the ninth inning of that 6-3 loss to the Washington Nationals, a last-place team with a largely inexperienced and nondescript lineup.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
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Having won five straight Ryder Cups and 12 of the last 13, the American team entered as the heavy favorite despite fielding a relatively inexperienced squad.—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Awkward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/awkward. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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