1
as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
a graceless person who was a butterfingered lout when it came to playing basketball
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
was a graceless preteen but evolved into a confident teenager
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3
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
one guest made a graceless comment about the bride's bleached hair
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4
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
her graceless dancing was painful to watch
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5
as in improper
showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations
indifferent to the nuances of constructive criticism, she sometimes says things which are hurtful or graceless
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of graceless
Trump’s remarks were monumentally graceless, showing again the emptiness of his character.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
Still, Trump should want her endorsement and should be trying to woo her — and those voters — instead of engaging in his typically graceless behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for graceless
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
Still, Trump should want her endorsement and should be trying to woo her — and those voters — instead of engaging in his typically graceless behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for graceless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graceless
Adjective
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This is a huge bonus for a clumsy gal like myself, who often trips over air.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
People.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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The scale of the problem became terrifyingly clear during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the Japanese government struggled to respond to a nationwide crisis with clumsy digital tools.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Less Strain: Reaching over your child’s car seat can be uncomfortable and awkward.—
Laura Lu,
Parents,
16 Aug. 2025
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Removing 55 books the governor’s political party is uncomfortable with is not ethical or legal.—
Robert Kesten,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Avoid anything offensive, violent or inappropriate.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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In the video, Adams accuses the man of being inappropriate with a minor on Grindr, a LGBTQ+ dating and social networking app where the minimum age to make an account is 18.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The coming weeks are the slow limp forwards that Putin wants: Tension between Trump and Zelensky first, followed by European pressure on Trump to ease off on Zelensky, followed by awkward and technical stalling over a three-way meeting between Trump, Putin and Zelensky.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 Aug. 2025
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Kyler Murray completed seven of his eight passes, with one awkward misread going for a pick: Third-year running back Bam Knight busted out on a 27-yard rush, and his backfield teammate Emari Demercado took a screen pass all the way to the house.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The lawsuit alleges faulty CCTV cameras and improper placement prevented the bridge operator from seeing Richard Dujardin.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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According to court documents, Williams would show the child pornography while the improper acts would take place.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
12 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The United States and China have settled into a steady state of pragmatic, if uneasy, détente.—
Phil Mattingly,
CNN Money,
13 Aug. 2025
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Reading Zeller’s book, I was reminded that there is a kind of uneasy fellowship in this condition—a vast, involuntary community of people mapping out their lives between attacks, haunted by uncertainty but sustained in part by accounts like his.—
Jerome Groopman,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Trump turned instead to the Florida congressman Matt Gaetz, a flagrantly unsuitable choice; Trump’s private lawyer, Boris Epshteyn, encouraged the selection.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
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Inadequate performance or products unsuitable for retirement plans can open them to legal ramifications.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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But the existing options have continued to be unsteady.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
11 Aug. 2025
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So when things feel unsteady, our strategy is grounded in what has always mattered most: protecting and supporting our team.—
Rebecca Brooks,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Graceless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graceless. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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