Meanings
adverbawkwardly (comparative more awkwardly, superlative most awkwardly)
comparative more awkwardly · superlative most awkwardly · alternative obsolete aukwardly
- In an awkward manner; with discomfort or lack of coordination.
A poorly finished trunk has an awkwardly high liftover and no useful handhold on its lid.
2007 December 23, Lawrence Ulrich, “Same Small-Car Stew, Stirred and Reheated”, in The New York Times
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
- Proto-Indo-European*leyg-
- Proto-Germanic*līką
- Englishawkwardly
Translations
Esperanto mallerte
- mallertein an awkward manner
Finnish hankalasti, kiusallisesti
- hankalastiin an awkward manner
- kiusallisestiin an awkward manner
German unbeholfen, ungeschickt
- unbeholfenin an awkward manner
- ungeschicktin an awkward manner
- umständlichin an awkward manner
- tapsigin an awkward manner
Greek άγαρμπα
- άγαρμπα (ágarmpa)in an awkward manner
Hungarian esetlenül
- esetlenülin an awkward manner
Russian неуклю́же
- неуклю́же (neukljúže)in an awkward manner
Spanish torpemente
- torpementein an awkward manner
Cite this entry
APA
awkwardly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkwardly
MLA
“awkwardly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkwardly. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “awkwardly,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/awkwardly.
Source: awkwardly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.