Meanings
adjectiveawkward (comparative more awkward, superlative most awkward)
comparative more awkward · superlative most awkward
- Not easily managed; embarrassing.
An awkward silence had fallen.
2 more examples
That was an extremely awkward moment. Everyone was watching.
Things got awkward when my boss tried a cheesy pick-up line on me.
Synonyms: recalcitrant
- Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle.
He's a right awkward chap.
2 more examples
These cabinets are going to be very awkward when we move.
Clearing up rock and fallen vegetation at such an awkward site required a team of specialist geoengineers.
2020 August 26, Andrew Mourant, “Reinforced against future flooding”, in Rail, page 61Synonyms: cantankerous, ungainly, unwieldy
nounawkward (plural awkwards)
plural awkwards
- Someone or something that is awkward.
That is a way to make awkwards. And it's not fun to hang out with awkwards more than once.
2014, Grace Helbig, Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up, New York, N.Y.: Touchstone Books, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 762 more examples
Another important branch of deportment was to seat the awkwards stiffly on the extreme edge of a chair, fold the hands on the very precarious lap, droop the eyes in a pensive way.
1912, Eliza Ripley, Social Life in Old New Orleans, Being Recollections of My Girlhood, New York, N.Y.; London: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC'What periods are you talking about?' / 'The monthly awkwards. Didn't the girls at Molyneux have them when you were managing director?' / The Rabbit leaned forward, sniffing the air in the immediate vicinity. 'Either you've been drinking or you've got some girl into trouble. Or am I being unfair to you and it's both?'
1998, Leo Marks, Between Silk and Cyanide: The Story of SOE's Code War, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveLacking dexterity in the use of the hands or of tools.
adjectiveNot easily managed; embarrassing.
Similar
adjectiveLacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.
adjectivePerverse; adverse; difficult to handle.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivecausing inconvenience
Similar
adjectivelacking grace or skill in manner or movement or performance
Opposite
adjectivedifficult to handle or manage especially because of shape
adjectivenot elegant or graceful in expression
adjectivehard to deal with; especially causing pain or embarrassment
adjectivesocially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
- Proto-Indo-European*h₃ekʷ-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂époh₃kʷos
- Proto-Germanic*abuhaz
- Old Norseǫfugr
- Middle Englishawke
- Englishawk
- Proto-Indo-European*wert-
- Proto-Germanic*wardaz
- Englishawkward
From awk (“odd, clumsy”) + -ward. Compare Middle English aukeward (“in the wrong direction”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian несръчен, непохватен
- несръчен (nesrăčen)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- непохватен (nepohvaten)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- неловък (nelovăk)not easily managed; embarrassing
- неудобен (neudoben)not easily managed; embarrassing
- неприятен (neprijaten)perverse; adverse; untoward
- неудобен (neudoben)perverse; adverse; untoward
Catalan maldestre, incòmode
- maldestrelacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- incòmodenot easily managed; embarrassing
- retretlacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- incòmodeperverse; adverse; untoward
- inconvenientperverse; adverse; untoward
Chinese Mandarin 彆扭 /别扭, 尷尬 /尴尬
- 彆扭 /别扭 (bièniu)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- 尷尬 /尴尬 (gāngà)not easily managed; embarrassing
Czech neobratný, nešikovný
- neobratnýlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- nešikovnýlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- nepříjemnýnot easily managed; embarrassing
Danish akavet
- akavetnot easily managed; embarrassing
Dutch onhandig, ongemakkelijk
- onhandiglacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- ongemakkelijknot easily managed; embarrassing
- genantnot easily managed; embarrassing
Esperanto mallerta, konsterna
- mallertalacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- konsternanot easily managed; embarrassing
- senaplombiganot easily managed; embarrassing
- plumpalacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- maloportunaperverse; adverse; untoward
Finnish kömpelö, kiusallinen
- kömpelölacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- kiusallinennot easily managed; embarrassing
- vaivaannuttavanot easily managed; embarrassing
- hankalanot easily managed; embarrassing
- vaikeanot easily managed; embarrassing
- nolonot easily managed; embarrassing
- kömpelölacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- hankalaperverse; adverse; untoward
- vastahakoinenperverse; adverse; untoward
French maladroit, gauche
- maladroitlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- gauchelacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- embarrassantnot easily managed; embarrassing
- inconvenantperverse; adverse; untoward
German ungeschickt, unbeholfen
- ungeschicktlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- unbeholfenlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- umständlichlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- tollpatschiglacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- tölpelhaftlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- patschertlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- peinlichnot easily managed; embarrassing
- betretennot easily managed; embarrassing
- unangenehmnot easily managed; embarrassing
- umständlichnot easily managed; embarrassing
- patschertnot easily managed; embarrassing
- beklemmendnot easily managed; embarrassing
Greek αδέξιος, δύσκολος
- αδέξιος (adéxios)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- δύσκολος (dýskolos)not easily managed; embarrassing
Hungarian kínos
- kínosnot easily managed; embarrassing
Icelandic klunnalegur, vandræðalegur
- klunnalegurlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- vandræðalegurnot easily managed; embarrassing
- pínlegurnot easily managed; embarrassing
Indonesian kikuk, canggung
- kikuklacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- canggungnot easily managed; embarrassing
- canggunglacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- memalukanperverse; adverse; untoward
Irish crúbach, ciotrúnta
- crúbachlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- ciotrúntalacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- anástanot easily managed; embarrassing
Italian maldestro, impacciato
- maldestrolacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- impacciatolacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- goffolacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- imbarazzatonot easily managed; embarrassing
- poco opportunonot easily managed; embarrassing
- delicatonot easily managed; embarrassing
- imbarazzantenot easily managed; embarrassing
- inopportunonot easily managed; embarrassing
- scomodoperverse; adverse; untoward
- poco maneggevoleperverse; adverse; untoward
- difficileperverse; adverse; untoward
Japanese 不器用な, 不便な
- 不器用な (bukiyō na)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- 不便な (fuben na)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- ぎごちない (gigochinai)not easily managed; embarrassing
- 気まずい (kimazui)not easily managed; embarrassing
Korean 서투르다, 어색하다
- 서투르다 (seotureuda)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- 어색하다 (eosaekhada)not easily managed; embarrassing
Latin inconcinnus
- inconcinnuslacking dexterity in the use of the hands
Latvian neveikls, neveikls
- neveiklslacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- neveiklsnot easily managed; embarrassing
- neveiklslacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
Lithuanian nerangus, nejaukus
- neranguslacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- nejaukusnot easily managed; embarrassing
- nepatogusnot easily managed; embarrassing
Malay canggung
- canggunglacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
Māori ninipa, tahangoi
- ninipalacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- tahangoinot easily managed; embarrassing
Norwegian klumsete, klønete
- klumsetelacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- klønetelacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- pinlignot easily managed; embarrassing
Norwegian Bokmål klein
- kleinlacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
Persian ناجور
- ناجور (nâjur)not easily managed; embarrassing
Polish nieprzyjemny, nieśmiały
- nieprzyjemnynot easily managed; embarrassing
- nieśmiałyperverse; adverse; untoward
Portuguese desajeitado, bisonho
- desajeitadolacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- bisonholacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- constrangedornot easily managed; embarrassing
- desconcertantenot easily managed; embarrassing
- sem jeitonot easily managed; embarrassing
- tímidolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- tímidalacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- insegurolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- inseguralacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- incómodoperverse; adverse; untoward
Romanian neîndemânatic, stângaci
- neîndemânaticlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- stângacilacking dexterity in the use of the hands
Russian нело́вкий, неуклю́жий
- нело́вкий (nelóvkij)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- неуклю́жий (neukljúžij)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- нело́вкий (nelóvkij)not easily managed; embarrassing
- неудо́бный (neudóbnyj)not easily managed; embarrassing
- затрудни́тельный (zatrudnítelʹnyj)not easily managed; embarrassing
Spanish torpe, desmañado
- torpelacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- desmañadolacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- embarazosonot easily managed; embarrassing
- delicadonot easily managed; embarrassing
- incómodonot easily managed; embarrassing
- dificultosonot easily managed; embarrassing
- embarazosolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- premiosolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- desgarbadolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- desgarbiladolacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- difícilperverse; adverse; untoward
- atravesadoperverse; adverse; untoward
Swedish pinsam, genant
- pinsamnot easily managed; embarrassing
- genantnot easily managed; embarrassing
- stelnot easily managed; embarrassing
- tafattlacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
- stellacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
Tagalog asiwa, matungal
- asiwalacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- matungalnot easily managed; embarrassing
Turkish sakar, beceriksiz
- sakarlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- beceriksizlacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- kullanışsıznot easily managed; embarrassing
- garipperverse; adverse; untoward
- uygunsuzperverse; adverse; untoward
Ukrainian незгра́бний, незручни́й
- незгра́бний (nezhrábnyj)lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
- незручни́й (nezručnýj)not easily managed; embarrassing
Cite this entry
APA
awkward. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkward
MLA
“awkward.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkward. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “awkward,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkward.
Source: awkward on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.