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clumsily

clum·sy
C c

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [kluhm-zee]
    • /ˈklʌm zi/
    • /ˈklʌm.zi/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [kluhm-zee]
    • /ˈklʌm zi/

Definitions of clumsily word

  • adjective clumsily awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace: He is very clumsy and is always breaking things. 1
  • adjective clumsily awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived: He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology. 1
  • noun clumsily Done without care or finesse, often hurriedly or awkwardly. 1
  • adverb clumsily awkwardly, without coordination 1

Information block about the term

Origin of clumsily

First appearance:

before 1590
One of the 37% oldest English words
1590-1600; clums benumbed with cold (now obsolete) + -y1; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold, dialectal Swedish klumsig benumbed, awkward, klums numbskull, Old Norse klumsa lockjaw. See clam2

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Clumsily

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

clumsily popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 92% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 56% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

clumsily usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for clumsily

adv clumsily

  • awkwardly — lacking skill or dexterity. Synonyms: clumsy, inept; unskillful, unhandy, inexpert. Antonyms: deft, adroit, skillful, dexterous; handy.
  • bungle — If you bungle something, you fail to do it properly, because you make mistakes or are clumsy.
  • gawkiness — awkward; ungainly; clumsy.
  • stumble — to strike the foot against something, as in walking or running, so as to stagger or fall; trip.

adverb clumsily

  • ineptly — without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit: He is inept at mechanical tasks. She is inept at dealing with people.
  • inelegant — not elegant; lacking in refinement, gracefulness, or good taste.
  • maladroitly — lacking in adroitness; unskillful; awkward; bungling; tactless: to handle a diplomatic crisis in a very maladroit way.
  • gauche — lacking social grace, sensitivity, or acuteness; awkward; crude; tactless: Their exquisite manners always make me feel gauche.
  • crudely — in a raw or unprepared state; unrefined or natural: crude sugar.

verb clumsily

  • galumphing — to move along heavily and clumsily.
  • trundle — to cause (a circular object) to roll along; roll.
  • galumph — to move along heavily and clumsily.
  • lumber — timber sawed or split into planks, boards, etc.

Antonyms for clumsily

adverb clumsily

  • gracefully — characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant: a graceful dancer; a graceful reply.

Top questions with clumsily

  • what does clumsily mean?
  • what is the meaning of clumsily?

See also

Matching words

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