awkward

English

WOTD – 19 July 2016

From awk (“odd, clumsy”) +‎ -ward.

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Audio (US): (file)
Audio (US) (US cot-caught merged): (file)
Audio (AU): (file)
Hyphenation: awk‧ward

awkward (comparative more awkward, superlative most awkward)

	A user suggests that this English entry be cleaned up, giving the reason: *“Quote is malformatted and is Middle English (enm) awkewarde* - RFV for this New English (en) term?)”**.
	Please see the discussion on Requests for cleanup⁽⁺⁾ or the talk page for more information and remove this template after the problem has been dealt with.

(obsolete) In a backwards direction.
- Template:RQ:Mlry MrtArthr1:
  Than groned the knyght for his grymme woundis, and gyrdis to Sir Gawayne and awkewarde hym strykes, and […] kut thorow a vayne […].

awkward (comparative awkwarder or more awkward, superlative awkwardest or most awkward)

Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
John was awkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practice to improve.

Synonyms: clumsy, lubberly, ungraceful, unhandy

Antonyms: dexterous, gainly, graceful, skillful
Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing.
That was an extremely awkward moment. Everyone was watching.

An awkward silence had fallen.
Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.
I'm very awkward at parties.

Things get very awkward whenever 60-year old men use cheesy pick-up lines on me.

Synonym: maladroit

Antonyms: amiable, cool
Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle.
He's a right awkward chap.

These cabinets are going to be very awkward when we move.

lacking dexterity in the use of the hands

American Sign Language: 3@SideTrunkhigh-PalmDown-3@SideChesthigh-PalmDown Upanddown-Upanddown
Bulgarian: несръчен (bg) (nesrǎčen), непохватен (bg) (nepohvaten)
Catalan: maldestre (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 別扭／别扭 (zh), 别扭 (zh) (bièniu)
Czech: neobratný m, nešikovný m
Dutch: onhandig (nl)
Esperanto: mallerta
Finnish: kömpelö (fi)
French: maladroit (fr) m
German: ungeschickt (de), unbeholfen, umständlich (de), tollpatschig (de), tölpelhaft (de), patschert (Austrian)
Greek: αδέξιος (el) (adéxios)
Icelandic: klunnalegur (is)
Indonesian: canggung (id), kikuk (id)
Interlingue: Lua error in Module:translations at line 71: Translations must be for attested and approved main-namespace languages.
Irish: crúbach
(deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
Italian: maldestro (it), impacciato (it), goffo (it) m
Japanese: 不器用な (ja) (ぶきような, bukiyō na)
Latin: inconcinnus m
Latvian: neveikls m
Lithuanian: nerangus m
Macedonian: не́згоден (nézgoden), несмасен m (nesmasen)
Maori: ninipa
Norwegian: klumsete, klønete
Portuguese: desajeitado (pt), bisonho (pt)
Romanian: neîndemânatic (ro), stângaci (ro)
Russian: нело́вкий (ru) (nelóvkij), неуклю́жий (ru) (neukljúžij)
Spanish: torpe (es), desmañado (es)
Turkish: sakar (tr), beceriksiz (tr)
Ukrainian: незгра́бний (nezhrábnyj)

not easily managed or effected; embarrassing

lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction

perverse; adverse; untoward

awkward (plural awkwards)