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 clumsy word
- adjective clumsy A clumsy person moves or handles things in a careless, awkward way, often so that things are knocked over or broken. 3
- adjective clumsy A clumsy action or statement is not skilful or is likely to upset people. 3
- graded adjective clumsy An object that is clumsy is not neat in design or appearance, and is often awkward to use. 3
- adjective clumsy lacking in skill or physical coordination 3
- adjective clumsy awkwardly constructed or contrived 3
- adjective clumsy lacking grace or skill in movement; awkward 3
Information block about the term
Origin of clumsy
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 Clumsy
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
clumsy 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.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
clumsy usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for clumsy
adj clumsy
- bulky — Something that is bulky is large and heavy. Bulky things are often difficult to move or deal with.
- ungainly — not graceful; awkward; unwieldy; clumsy: an ungainly child; an ungainly prose style.
- unwieldy — not wieldy; wielded with difficulty; not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight; awkward; ungainly.
- inept — without skill or aptitude for a particular task or assignment; maladroit: He is inept at mechanical tasks. She is inept at dealing with people.
- ponderous — of great weight; heavy; massive.
adjective clumsy
- awkward — An awkward situation is embarrassing and difficult to deal with.
- ham-fisted — clumsy, inept, or heavy-handed: a ham-handed approach to dealing with people that hurts a lot of feelings.
Antonyms for clumsy
adj clumsy
- adroit — Someone who is adroit is quick and skilful in their thoughts, behaviour, or actions.
- agile — Someone who is agile can move quickly and easily.
- clever — Someone who is clever is intelligent and able to understand things easily or plan things well.
- dexterous — Someone who is dexterous is very skilful and clever with their hands.
- graceful — characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant: a graceful dancer; a graceful reply.
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See also
Matching words
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