Synonyms: Clumsy
Whether you just made a cringe-worthy comment or spilled soup in your lap, this list has words for every clumsy calamity. For more synonym lists, explore our Say What You Mean resources.
13 words
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Full list of words from this list:
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awkward
lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performanceThe handshake was quick and awkward, like maybe he was new to that sort of pleasantry. The Season of Styx Malone
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blunder
an embarrassing mistakeHe was patient enough with me and my blunders, but he seldom displayed any real warmth or friendliness. The Shakespeare Stealer
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gauche
lacking social poise or refinement“I’m gauche and awkward, I dress badly, I’m shy with people. I warned you in Monte Carlo how it would be. You think I’m not right for Manderley.” RebeccaGauche is a somewhat formal way of saying "rude" or "socially awkward." Gauche means "left" in French. Since most people are right-handed, their left hand is awkward and clumsy in comparison, which is how the word came to have its meaning in English.
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gawky
awkward and clumsy in movement or postureHis legs move with gawky and mechanical articulations, knees bending while his hands hang at his sides. 100 Sideways Miles
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incompetent
showing lack of skill or aptitudeShe tries to shoot me and it's immediately evident that she's incompetent with a bow. The Hunger GamesCompetent means "skilled " or "proficient," so incompetent means the opposite: being bad at something.
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inept
generally incompetent and ineffectualShe opened the matchbox compartment successfully, but one inept scratch of a match sent the box to the floor. Franny and Zooey
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klutz
someone who is clumsyUnfortunately, because I’m a total klutz, I dropped it on the floor. From Twinkle, with LoveKlutz is Yiddish. It first entered English in the early 1900s, when it usually referred to a socially awkward person. More recently klutz is used to describe someone physically clumsy.
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maladroit
not quick or skillful in action or thoughtAccordingly, from the French, one is considered “gauche” or “maladroit” when exhibiting clumsiness. New York Times (Mar 14, 2011)Adroit means "skilled." Maladroit is the opposite: clumsy.
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oaf
an awkward, foolish personBut even if Bigfoot can’t help being a galumphing oaf, he tramples a lot in his wake. Slate (Nov 5, 2015)The words oaf and elf come from the Old Norse álfr. Oaf first appeared in English as aufe, where it referred to a so-called "elf's child". Over time both the spelling and meaning changed, and now it describes a clumsy person.
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uneasy
socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in mannerAnd most of them seemed as uneasy around him as he was with them. The Best of Enemies
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ungainly
lacking grace in movement or postureI haul myself up to the top, groaning from the effort, kicking and scrabbling in a downright ungainly manner. Dread NationUngainly is a synonym for unwieldy, but is more often applied to people than objects.
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untoward
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is properBut I’m saved from doing anything untoward by Miss Preston entering the room. Dread Nation
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unwieldy
lacking grace in movement or postureThe old, hulking computer in my room was a bulky, unwieldy thing. A Very Large Expanse of SeaTo wield something, like a sword, is to brandish it expertly, so unwieldy describes something that's hard to hold or carry.
Created on Mon Mar 09 20:58:47 EDT 2020
(updated Mon Mar 22 17:33:16 EDT 2021)
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