unwieldy
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- unwieldly (less common, possibly nonstandard)
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English unweldi, equivalent to un- + wieldy. Cognate with Middle Low German unweldich (“unwieldy”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
unwieldy (comparative unwieldier, superlative unwieldiest)
- (obsolete) Lacking strength; weak.
- (obsolete) Ungraceful in movement.
- Difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate because of its size, weight, shape or complexity.
- 1985, Patrick Moore, Stargazing: Astronomy without a telescope, Aurum Press, →ISBN, page 18:
- However, the constellation of Argo Navis was so huge and unwieldy that in the 1932 revision, the International Astronomical Union committee chopped it up into a keel (Carina), a poop (Puppis) and sails (Vela).
- Badly managed or operated.
- (Can we add an example for this sense?)
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate
|
References[edit]
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “unwieldy”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₂welh₁- (rule)
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms prefixed with un-
- English 3-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with obsolete senses
- English terms with quotations
- English negative polarity items