HAM-FISTED Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

ham-fisted

adjective

ˈham-ˌfi-stəd

Definition of ham-fisted

as in clumsy

lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands that's a ham-fisted paint job if I ever saw one

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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 ham-fisted Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025 Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success. — Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025 And some obvious references to the Garden of Eden with a woman named Eve searching for her truth are ham-fisted, but also a hallmark of the genre. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2025 The bill could not have been better designed to violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause; as a law school practice problem, it would have been considered a little ham-fisted. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ham-fisted

Adjective

Such a feature would neatly get around the need for clumsy remote control sessions to interact with AI agents running on a distant Mac.

— Paul Monckton, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
The head coach was clumsy in his response, saying — in effect — that the player is better suited to being an impact substitute and taking advantage of tiring opposition defenders.

— Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 June 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

Human bodies were like animals’ The few medical instruments of the revolutionary era were heavy in the hand, awkward in use and imprecise to maneuver.

— Katherine Ott, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
In its place are itty-bitty bands that still keep your flats or heels in place, just with less of a chance of awkward tan lines.

— Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 1 July 2026

Definition of awkward

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hamartias

ham-fisted

ham-handed

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“Ham-fisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ham-fisted. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of ham-fisted

adjective

Example Sentences

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