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Definitions

ungainly

[uhn-geyn-lee] / ʌnˈgeɪn li /
ADJECTIVE
clumsy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
awkward lumbering
WEAK
gawky graceless klutzy uncoordinated ungraceful
Antonyms
WEAK
agile coordinated elegant graceful
ADJECTIVE
cumbersome
Synonyms
STRONGEST
awkward bulky clumsy unwieldy
WEAK
clunky heavy unmanageable
Antonyms
STRONGEST
adroit clever convenient dexterous graceful handy
WEAK
agile coordinated elegant
ADJECTIVE
clumsy
Synonyms
STRONGEST
awkward lumbering unwieldy
WEAK
gawky klutzy lanky loutish maladroit stiff uncouth ungraceful wooden
Antonyms
STRONGEST
convenient handy
WEAK
agile coordinated elegant graceful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Sam Quinones celebrates this ungainly instrument and its players in “The Perfect Tuba,” a delightfully offbeat book with unexpectedly profound overtones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Trundling up an ungainly lift to reach a second-story balcony seems like Woody Allen’s hapless bank robber trying to tunnel his way into vaults in “Small Time Crooks.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 19, 2025

I’d collapse one into the other, building a loaded potato so ungainly it should have come with a warning sign.

From Salon • Sep. 16, 2025

Sample review: "An ungainly mess, submerged in mayhem, occasionally surfacing for cliches."

From BBC • Aug. 9, 2025

While he talks, he makes ungainly movements and bumps the table so that the spoons clatter in their bowls.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr