1
as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
getting the ungainly couch up the stairs was a real chore
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
the tree cutter was crushing any unlucky petunias that lay in the path of his ungainly tread
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of ungainly
Critics started using the ungainly term Apatowian to describe his imitators.
—
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
An absolute charmer, the film is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All signatory state parties would have to agree to add a new pathogen (or new type of organism of concern) to the convention, an ungainly process of herding cats that could make this effort hard to achieve.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Adrienne Lafrance, The Atlantic, 15 Sep. 2025
An absolute charmer, the film is an affecting look at the human-avian bond, with all its mysteries, warmth and ungainly practicalities.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
On land, hippos appear slow and ungainly.
—Francois Botha, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
All signatory state parties would have to agree to add a new pathogen (or new type of organism of concern) to the convention, an ungainly process of herding cats that could make this effort hard to achieve.
—Liyam Chitayat, Foreign Affairs, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
-
Isabel, sitting in a driving-range stall, is nearly hit with a ball when a clumsy golfer clangs it off a metal railing.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The results are often enervating though sometimes clumsy.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The image became a meme, repeatedly used to portray Miliband as awkward.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Feb. 2026
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The communication was straightforward and a bit awkward, sadly missing the mentions of Nancy Guthrie’s humanity that had peppered the family’s first video.—
Assistant Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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One proposal for adapting the Winter Games to a warmer world is to merge the Olympics and Paralympics, although this could make the event unwieldy.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The two leaders were former allies who later became embroiled in bruising political disputes, deepening divisions in one of Asia's most unwieldy democracies.—
JIM GOMEZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Homeroom placement was designated by test scores, and Smith rightly recalled that her homeroom class with Tupac was filled by twenty-eight Black students — and a gawky white kid named William Yates.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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Crenshaw made fun of Davidson’s gawky stature and then called for respect for all veterans as well as first responders in the 9/11 attacks — one of whom was Davidson’s father.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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One approach is to reform outdated and cumbersome permitting processes so clean energy projects, such as for solar and wind power — along with more transmission lines — can be added to our grid more quickly.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
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The legislative process is cumbersome and messy, but ultimately it is shaped by 535 lawmakers’ opinions from districts and states across the nation.—
Abby McCloskey,
Twin Cities,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The only problem is the Heat are a commendable but unsteady evangelist for trying to win every night out.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
10 Feb. 2026
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The most vulnerable consumers would include those who have unsteady hours at work, paychecks that vary significantly week to week, and often only are able to make the minimum monthly payments.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Every one of these new bits of hardware introduced a new set of uncoordinated chatter of alarms that simply produced noise.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
24 Jan. 2026
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Woody was a slightly uncoordinated and not-so-strong cowboy cop who relied more on his sense of humor than his brawn.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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