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awkward - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'awkward' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Awkward [ a.]
- Wanting dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not dexterous; without skill; clumsy; wanting ease, grace, or effectiveness in movement; ungraceful; as, he was awkward at a trick; an awkward boy.
- Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing.
- Perverse; adverse; untoward.

Meaning of 'awkward' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . awkward [ a]
Meaning (1):
- lacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance
Example in sentence:
  • an awkward dancer;
  • an awkward gesture;
  • his clumsy fingers produced an awkward knot;
  • too awkward with a needle to make her own clothes
2 . awkward [ s]
Meaning (2):
- not elegant or graceful in expression
Example in sentence:
  • a clumsy apology;
  • an awkward prose style;
  • his cumbersome writing style;
  • if the rumor is true, can anything be more inept than to repeat it now?
Meaning (3):
- difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape
Example in sentence:
  • a load of bunglesome paraphernalia;
  • an awkward bundle to carry;
  • clumsy wooden shoes;
  • the cello, a rather ungainly instrument for a girl
Meaning (4):
- hard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment
Example in sentence:
  • a sticky question;
  • an awkward pause followed his remark;
  • awkward (or embarrassing or difficult) moments in the discussion;
  • in the unenviable position of resorting to an act he had planned to save for the climax of the campaign
Meaning (5):
- socially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner
Example in sentence:
  • awkward and reserved at parties;
  • ill at ease among eddies of people he didn't know;
  • was always uneasy with strangers
Meaning (6):
- causing inconvenience
Example in sentence:
  • they arrived at an awkward time

Nearby Words:

awk awkly

See 'awkward' also in:

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