WordLens

ungainly

1 of 1adjective
/ʌnˈɡeɪnli/
Forms:more ungainly,most ungainly
1

moving in a way that is awkward and not smooth

  • His ungainly attempts at dancing drew laughter from the crowd.
  • The vase slipped from her hands in an ungainly manner, shattering on the floor.
  • She felt ungainly in the oversized dress, which hung loosely on her frame.
  • The toddler took unsteady, ungainly steps across the room.
  • The puppy's ungainly paws tripped over themselves as it ran to greet its owner.
Synonyms:
clumsygawkyunwieldyclunky
2

hard to manage because of awkward form

C2
  • Carrying the unwieldy and ungainly furniture up the narrow staircase proved to be a challenging task for the movers.
  • The old, ungainly computer monitor took up a significant amount of desk space, making it difficult to work efficiently.
  • The team faced difficulty handling the ungainly machinery, causing delays in the construction project.
  • Maneuvering the ungainly boat through the narrow canal required precision and patience from the captain.
  • The cyclist, unfamiliar with the new and ungainly bike, had trouble maintaining speed and control on the winding trail.
Synonyms:
clumsybunglesomeawkward