1
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
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Recent Examples of ungainly
The hagiography of the Arena brand doesn’t always fit in with the rest of ESPN’s programming, which is an ungainly mix of live sports, commercials for sports gambling and news reports on the damaging impact of sports gambling on live sports.
—
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
In 2022, the Albany Dems bypassed the IRC and drew an ugly ungainly district running around the shores of the Long Island Sound from Suffolk across Nassau, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester all the way to the Connecticut border, an unconstitutional gerrymander.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024
This is an ungainly and unpalatable status quo, especially given the litany of war crimes perpetrated by Assad’s regime, but the further consolidation of power under Assad would still be worse for the people living in Syria’s northwest.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2023
Recall that the current name of our baseball stadium was an ungainly compromise between then-owner Eli Jacobs and Gov. William Donald Schaefer.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ungainly 
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 July 2024
In 2022, the Albany Dems bypassed the IRC and drew an ugly ungainly district running around the shores of the Long Island Sound from Suffolk across Nassau, Queens, the Bronx and Westchester all the way to the Connecticut border, an unconstitutional gerrymander.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 15 Feb. 2024
This is an ungainly and unpalatable status quo, especially given the litany of war crimes perpetrated by Assad’s regime, but the further consolidation of power under Assad would still be worse for the people living in Syria’s northwest.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 21 Mar. 2023
Recall that the current name of our baseball stadium was an ungainly compromise between then-owner Eli Jacobs and Gov. William Donald Schaefer.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ungainly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ungainly
Adjective
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Amazon’s best-selling soup bowls are made with triple-layered glass that even the clumsiest folks may find hard to break.—
Ashley Zlatopolsky,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2025
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Okay too many clumsy Star Wars references there, but one thing the report also correctly notes is that this would be a rare development where Star Wars recruits a top A-list actor to star in a film.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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What can expect from that visit and just kind of how awkward will things be now after these comments?—
Taylor Wilson,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
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In his defense, the Anti-Defamation League tweeted from X that Musk’s gesture seemed to be an awkward expression of enthusiasm.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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This often results in shots that are launched with her hands well outside of the vertical cylinder of her body, resulting in her most unwieldy misses.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Jan. 2025
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The leadership shift follows a period of growth and strategic expansion under Cerutti and an unwieldy art market.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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All the money her father had left them was put toward his daughters’ private education, but she was ostracized by wealthy classmates who bullied her for being too poor, too gawky and too dark-skinned.—
Kyle Buchanan,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2025
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Carmello, a three-time Tony nominee, delivers an exquisite performance, equal parts gawky and wise, a tender-hearted girl feeling every slight but also always slightly above the fray.—
Karen D'Souza,
The Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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This bag has a subtly vintage silhouette and fits everything without being cumbersome.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
24 Jan. 2025
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Innovative Blending: Vintage Cognacs are unusual because the requirements to certify a vintage bottling are cumbersome.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Her absence, combined with an unsteady early performance and the unprecedented attack from her fire chief, have only intensified her vulnerabilities.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
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Retailers have been forced to work harder to win customer dollars, and demand has been unsteady as consumers think twice before buying things that may be wants rather than needs.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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All the work of shredding the cheese was already done, a boost for my innocent, relatively uncoordinated hands.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2025
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The result could be an uncoordinated approach that creates patchy systems with unclear outcomes for employees and stakeholders.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes,
16 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ungainly
Cite this Entry
“Ungainly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ungainly. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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