clumsy

[ kluhm-zee ]
/ ˈklʌm zi /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR clumsy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, clum·si·er, clum·si·est.

awkward in movement or action; without skill or grace: He is very clumsy and is always breaking things.
awkwardly done or made; unwieldy; ill-contrived: He made a clumsy, embarrassed apology.

Origin of clumsy

1590–1600; clums benumbed with cold (now obsolete) + -y1; akin to Middle English clumsen to be stiff with cold, dialectal Swedish klumsig benumbed, awkward, klums numbskull, Old Norse klumsa lockjaw. See clam2

OTHER WORDS FROM clumsy

clum·si·ly, adverb clum·si·ness, noun

Words nearby clumsy

cluj, cluj-napoca, clumber spaniel, clump, clumping, clumsy, clunes, clung, cluniac, clunk, clunker

Words related to clumsiness

ineptitude, awkwardness

Example sentences from the Web for clumsiness

British Dictionary definitions for clumsiness

clumsy
/ (ˈklʌmzɪ) /

adjective -sier or -siest

lacking in skill or physical coordination
awkwardly constructed or contrived

Derived forms of clumsy

clumsily, adverb clumsiness, noun

Word Origin for clumsy

C16 (in obsolete sense: benumbed with cold; hence, awkward): perhaps from C13 dialect clumse to benumb, probably from Scandinavian; compare Swedish dialect klumsig numb