UNGAINLY Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

ungainly

adjective

ˌən-ˈgān-lē

Definition of ungainly

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 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 ungainly Seydoux tromps through the film with a masculine heaviness — a sense of dysphoria that translates to her character’s ungainly bearing. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 18 May 2026 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 But the documentary is an ungainly blend of ultra-earnest hagiography and trashy true-crime sensationalism, without being completely satisfying as either. — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ungainly

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly

Adjective

Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

The Basketmaker—whose skills go far beyond furniture making—weaves her a match, Fiddler on the Roof-like, and the Fisherwoman, after an awkward matrimonial moment, takes Wicker Husband home to her funky little cottage.

— Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
The pushback is awkward for a government that went out of its way to land the project.

— Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

Baseball rosters are large and unwieldy; the margins between success and failure are slim and hard to control for.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
The exec was brought in to rein in filmmaker spending and streamline Netflix’s notoriously unwieldy film operation.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of unwieldy

Adjective

Enter the fast-growing world of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, known by the somewhat cumbersome acronym of eVTOLs.

— Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Less cumbersome portable hifi listening Accessibility Innovations improving life for the elderly and people with disabilities.

— Time, Time, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of cumbersome

Adjective

Almost immediately after, Jane Doe began to feel unsteady and lightheaded, according to the lawsuit.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026
As on television, Seyfried nails Holmes’s wide eyes, unsteady mannerisms, deep voice, and mysterious vocal cadence that makes the character both unreal and oddly human.

— Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsteady

Adjective

And it won’t be lost on anyone how uncoordinated the Chargers’ operation seemed behind its new coordinators.

— Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
And some elements of it seem inarguably true, such as the idea that Clancy’s psychiatric care was woefully uncoordinated.

— Elizabeth Bruenig, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of uncoordinated

Browse Nearby Words

ungainliness

ungainly

ungallant

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of ungainly

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes