ungainly
[ uhn-geyn-lee ]
/ ʌnˈgeɪn li /
adjective, un·gain·li·er, un·gain·li·est.
not graceful; awkward; unwieldy; clumsy: an ungainly child; an ungainly prose style.
adverb
in an awkward manner.
Origin of ungainly
1150–1200; (adv.) Middle English
ungeinliche, equivalent to
un-
un-1 + later Middle English
geyn straight, well-disposed, handy (< Old Norse
gegn straight, direct; compare Old Norse
ūgegn unreasonable) +
-liche
-ly; (adj.)
un-1 + obsolete
gainly proper, becoming, gracious, Middle English
gaynlych (
geyn as above +
-lych
-ly); cf.
gainly,
again
OTHER WORDS FROM ungainly
un·gain·li·ness, nounWords nearby ungainly
unfunny,
unfurl,
unfurnished,
unfussy,
ung.,
ungainly,
ungaretti,
ungava,
ungava bay,
ungava peninsula,
ungenerous
Example sentences from the Web for ungainly
British Dictionary definitions for ungainly
ungainly
/ (ʌnˈɡeɪnlɪ) /
adjective -lier or -liest
lacking grace when moving
difficult to move or use; unwieldy
rare
crude or coarse
adverb
rare
clumsily
Derived forms of ungainly
ungainliness, nounWord Origin for ungainly
C17: from
un-
1 + obsolete or dialect
gainly graceful