as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
it took two people to haul the cumbrous machine into the garage
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cumbrous
There were three good reasons to abandon the Clean Power Plan, and EPA administrator Scott Pruitt cited two of them in his decision, announced Monday, to rescind the cumbrous carbon dioxide rule.
—
The Editors, National Review, 9 Oct. 2017
The Road Home Program, a state program supposed to help rebuild, was cumbrous and slow, and grants often didn’t cover the cost of repairs.
—Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2017
The Editors, National Review, 9 Oct. 2017
The Road Home Program, a state program supposed to help rebuild, was cumbrous and slow, and grants often didn’t cover the cost of repairs.
—Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumbrous
Adjective
-
Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
So Pakistan is already in an awkward position because the Saudis are being attacked.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Lock down the logistics first The fastest way to kill trip momentum is skipping the awkward conversations.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The compact electromagnetic launcher features a 12-inch barrel and is light enough to be comfortably held and operated with one hand, allowing for greater mobility and ease of use in tight or urban environments where traditional firearms or larger coil guns would be cumbersome.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The researchers received the feedback in a meeting with FDA reviewers to discuss a potential study of custom treatments using prime editors, a more complex and cumbersome gene editing technology that can treat a much wider range of genetic misspellings.—
Ed Silverman,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
For the present, we’re saddled with the unwieldy dilemma of there being eight major Democratic candidates and just two Republicans.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Rising debt levels are increasingly becoming unwieldy, particularly for lower-incomes Americans.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In its back-to-back knottiness, the album takes on an ungainly quality that, deliberate or not, sets up roadblocks to prolonged enjoyment.—
Maxie Younger,
Pitchfork,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The situation has grown so ungainly and untenable that, if Silicon Valley is merely forced to slow down, the viability of all this spending will likely be called into question in ways that could be devastating for many.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Government Accountability Office documented the ongoing problem in a recent report, which noted that controller attrition and the agency’s ponderous hiring procedures contribute to the long-term problem.—
Colleen Mondor,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Attacking patterns are centralised around Rogers, yet the recent ponderous tempo has impeded quick passes into his feet.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cumbrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumbrous. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
