clumsy
English · Thesaurus
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clumsy
- /ˈklʌmzi/ UK, US
Where it comes from
Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) + -y. More at clumse.
adjective clumsier · clumsiest
-
Awkward, lacking coordination.
He's very clumsy. I wouldn't trust him with carrying the dishes.
Similar: bumbling, bearish, ungainly · Opposite: graceful, dexterous
- Not elegant or well-planned, lacking tact or subtlety. It is a clumsy solution, but it might work for now.
- Awkward or inefficient in use or construction, difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape.
noun clumsies
-
A clumsy person.
On the stairs he met Ellen, the housemaid, and as he passed her he knocked the hot-water jug out of her hand. “Well, you are a clumsy,” said Ellen, as she bent down to mop up the water.
Similar: butterfingers, galoot, klutz
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: clunky, ungainly, gawky, bunglesome, bungling, fumbling, unwieldy, cumbersome, incompetent, infelicitous, inept, unskilled, unmanageable, inapt, awkward, ill-chosen
Translations
Every language
adj awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
| Español | patoso, torpe, desmañado, bruto, taba, manazas |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 서투르다 seotureuda |
| 日本語 | 不器用な bukiyō na, ぶきっちょ bukitcho |
| 中文 | 粗笨 cūbèn, 笨 bèn, 笨拙 bènzhuō |
| हिन्दी | बेढंगा beḍhaṅgā, बेसलीक़ा beslīqā, फूहड़ phūhaṛ |
| Português | desajeitado, atrapalhado, desastrado, despassarado |
| Français | empoté, gauche, lourd, maladroit |
| Deutsch | tollpatschig, ungeschickt, unbeholfen, schwerfällig, plump, klobig |
| Italiano | goffo, impacciato, maldestro |
| Ελληνικά | αδέξιος adéxios |
| Română | stângaci, neîndemânatic, greoi |
| Русский | неуклю́жий neukljúžij, нело́вкий nelóvkij, неповоро́тливый nepovorótlivyj |
| Tiếng Việt | vụng về |
| العربية | أَخْرَق ʔaḵraq |
adj not elegant or well-planned
| Español | torpe |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | भद्दा bhaddā, बेढंगा beḍhaṅgā, बेडौल beḍaul |
| Português | desgracioso |
| Deutsch | tollpatschig, ungeschickt, plump, klobig |
| Italiano | malfatto, rozzo, sgraziato |
| Română | grosolan |
| Русский | гру́бый grúbyj, некраси́вый nekrasívyj |
adj awkward or inefficient in use or construction
| Español | torpe |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | भद्दा bhaddā, बेढंगा beḍhaṅgā, हबड़ा habṛā, बेडौल beḍaul |
| Deutsch | unbeholfen, unhandlich, klobig, sperrig, plump |
| Italiano | grossolano |
| Română | grosolan, butucănos |
| Русский | неудо́бный neudóbnyj |
Talk about this word "clumsy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/clumsy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. clumsy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/clumsy "clumsy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/clumsy.Cite this
@misc{clumsy_2026,
title = {clumsy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/clumsy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
