awkward

adjective awk·ward \ˈȯ-kwərd\

: not graceful

: lacking skill

: difficult to use or handle

Full Definition of AWKWARD

obsolete : perverse

archaic : unfavorable, adverse

a : lacking dexterity or skill (as in the use of hands) <awkward with a needle and thread>

b : showing the result of a lack of expertness <awkward pictures>

a : lacking ease or grace (as of movement or expression) <awkward writing>

b : lacking the right proportions, size, or harmony of parts : ungainly <an awkward design>

a : lacking social grace and assurance <an awkward newcomer>

b : causing embarrassment <an awkward moment>

: not easy to handle or deal with : requiring great skill, ingenuity, or care <an awkward load> <an awkward diplomatic situation>

— awk·ward·ly adverb

— awk·ward·ness noun

See awkward defined for English-language learners

See awkward defined for kids

Examples of AWKWARD

Greene must have known that such men would not spill the beans about his irregular life or ask awkward questions, though Burgess famously teased him for being … a poseur, and was banished. —Paul Theroux, New York Times Book Review, 17 Oct. 2004
I was electrified by what I learned in college. Still socially awkward, I had the bad habit of stopping strangers in the street to pour my heart out about the latest marvel I had learned. —Jaron Lanier, Curious Minds, (2004) 2005
On the ground, vultures are hunched and awkward bundles of feathers, but in the air, where I watch them during much of the day, they are magnificent graceful soarers. —Words From the Land, Stephen Trimble, editor, 1988
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Origin of AWKWARD

Middle English awkeward in the wrong direction, from awke turned the wrong way, from Old Norse ǫfugr; akin to Old High German abuh turned the wrong way

First Known Use: 1530

Related to AWKWARD

Synonyms: clumsy, gauche, graceless, inelegant, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical), stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden

Antonyms: graceful, suave, urbane

Synonym Discussion of AWKWARD

awkward, clumsy, maladroit, inept, gauche mean not marked by ease (as of performance, movement, or social conduct). awkward is widely applicable and may suggest unhandiness, inconvenience, lack of muscular control, embarrassment, or lack of tact <periods of awkward silence>. clumsy implies stiffness and heaviness and so may connote inflexibility, unwieldiness, or lack of ordinary skill <a clumsy mechanic>. maladroit suggests a tendency to create awkward situations <a maladroit politician>. inept often implies complete failure or inadequacy <a hopelessly inept defense attorney>. gauche implies the effects of shyness, inexperience, or ill breeding <felt gauche and unsophisticated at formal parties>.

AWKWARDNESS Defined for Kids