Meanings
adjectiveclumsy (comparative clumsier, superlative clumsiest)
comparative clumsier · superlative clumsiest
- Not elegant or well-planned, lacking tact or subtlety.
What a clumsy joke
2 more examples
It is a clumsy solution, but it might work for now.
The ravviſh danke of clumzie vvinter ramps / The fluent ſummers vaine: and drizling ſleete / Chilleth the vvan bleak cheek of the numd earth, / VVhilſt ſnarling guſts nibble the iuyceles leaues, / From the nak't ſhuddring branch; […]
1600 or 1601 (date written), I. M. [i.e., John Marston], “The Prologue”, in Antonios Reuenge. The Second Part. […], London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde [by Matthew Lownes] […], published 1602, →OCLC, signature A2, recto
nounclumsy (plural clumsies)
plural clumsies
- informalfairly rareA clumsy person.
On the stairs he met Ellen, the housemaid, and as he passed her he knocked the hot-water jug out of her hand. “Well, you are a clumsy,” said Ellen, as she bent down to mop up the water.
1934, P[amela] L[yndon] Travers, “Bad Tuesday”, in Mary Poppins (Mary Poppins; 1), London: Gerald Howe Ltd […], →OCLC, page 82Synonyms: butterfingers, galoot, klutz
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveAwkward or inefficient in use or construction, difficult to handle or manage especially because of shape.
nounA clumsy person.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivenot elegant or graceful in expression
adjectivedifficult to handle or manage especially because of shape
adjectiveshowing lack of skill or aptitude
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Possibly from an alteration of clumsed (“benumbed”) or from clumse (“a stupid fellow; lout”) + -y. More at clumse.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀδέξιος
- ἀδέξιος (adéxios)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Arabic أَخْرَق
- أَخْرَق (ʔaḵraq)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Basque akets, trakets
- aketsawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- traketsawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- baldarawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Bulgarian тромав, несръчен
- тромав (tromav)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- несръчен (nesrăčen)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Catalan maldestre, barroer
- maldestreawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- barroerawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- sapastreawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Chinese Mandarin 粗笨, 笨
- 粗笨 (cūbèn)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- 笨 (bèn)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- 笨拙 (bènzhuō)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Czech nemotorný, neohrabaný
- nemotornýawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- neohrabanýawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- nevhodnýnot elegant or well-planned
- nešikovnýawkward or inefficient in use or construction
Dutch onhandig, stuntelig
- onhandigawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- stunteligawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- onhandignot elegant or well-planned
Esperanto mallerta
- mallertaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Estonian kohmakas, rohmakas
- kohmakasawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- rohmakasnot elegant or well-planned
Finnish kömpelö, kömpelö
- kömpelöawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- kömpelönot elegant or well-planned
French empoté, gauche
- empotéawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- gaucheawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- lourdawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- maladroitawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
German tollpatschig, ungeschickt
- tollpatschigawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- ungeschicktawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- unbeholfenawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- schwerfälligawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- plumpawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klobigawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tollpatschignot elegant or well-planned
- ungeschicktnot elegant or well-planned
- plumpnot elegant or well-planned
- klobignot elegant or well-planned
- unbeholfenawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- unhandlichawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- Tölpelclumsy person
Greek αδέξιος
- αδέξιος (adéxios)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Hindi बेढंगा, बेसलीक़ा
- बेढंगा (beḍhaṅgā)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- बेसलीक़ा (beslīqā)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- फूहड़ (phūhaṛ)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- भद्दा (bhaddā)not elegant or well-planned
- बेढंगा (beḍhaṅgā)not elegant or well-planned
- बेडौल (beḍaul)not elegant or well-planned
- भद्दा (bhaddā)awkward or inefficient in use or construction
- बेढंगा (beḍhaṅgā)awkward or inefficient in use or construction
- हबड़ा (habṛā)awkward or inefficient in use or construction
- बेडौल (beḍaul)awkward or inefficient in use or construction
Hungarian balkezes, esetlen
- balkezesawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- esetlenawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- ügyetlenawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- ügyetlennot elegant or well-planned
- otrombanot elegant or well-planned
- szakszerűtlennot elegant or well-planned
Icelandic klaufalegur
- klaufalegurawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Irish ciotach, tútach
- ciotachawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tútachawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- liobarnachawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- amscaíawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- anástaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- místuamaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tútachnot elegant or well-planned
- ciotachnot elegant or well-planned
- amscaínot elegant or well-planned
Italian goffo, impacciato
- goffoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- impacciatoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- maldestroawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- malfattonot elegant or well-planned
- rozzonot elegant or well-planned
- sgraziatonot elegant or well-planned
- grossolanoawkward or inefficient in use or construction
Japanese 不器用な, ぶきっちょ
- 不器用な (bukiyō na)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- ぶきっちょ (bukitcho)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Korean 서투르다
- 서투르다 (seotureuda)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Latin inconcinnus, inelegans
- inconcinnusawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- inelegansnot elegant or well-planned
- inhabilisawkward or inefficient in use or construction
Māori pakihawa, ninipa
- pakihawaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- ninipaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- pekengoheawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tahangoiawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tupehauawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- pōrahuawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Norwegian Bokmål klønete, klønet
- kløneteawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klønetawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klosseteawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klossetawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- trehendtawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klønetenot elegant or well-planned
- klossetenot elegant or well-planned
- klossetnot elegant or well-planned
- kløneclumsy person
- klossmajorclumsy person
- klodrianclumsy person
Persian چلفتی, قناس
- چلفتی (čolofti)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- قناس (qenâs)not elegant or well-planned
- چُلاغ (čolâġ/čulāġ)clumsy person
Polish niezdarny, niezgrabny
- niezdarnyawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- niezgrabnyawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- niezgrabnyawkward or inefficient in use or construction
Portuguese desajeitado, atrapalhado
- desajeitadoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- atrapalhadoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- desastradoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- despassaradoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- desgraciosonot elegant or well-planned
Romanian stângaci, neîndemânatic
- stângaciawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- neîndemânaticawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- greoiawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- grosolannot elegant or well-planned
- grosolanawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- butucănosawkward or inefficient in use or construction
Russian неуклю́жий, нело́вкий
- неуклю́жий (neukljúžij)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- нело́вкий (nelóvkij)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- неповоро́тливый (nepovorótlivyj)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- гру́бый (grúbyj)not elegant or well-planned
- некраси́вый (nekrasívyj)not elegant or well-planned
- неудо́бный (neudóbnyj)awkward or inefficient in use or construction
Scottish Gaelic cearbach, liobasta
- cearbachawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- liobastaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- mì-innealtanot elegant or well-planned
Spanish patoso, torpe
- patosoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- torpeawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- desmañadoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- brutoawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- tabaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- manazasawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- torpenot elegant or well-planned
- torpeawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- tabaclumsy person
- manazasclumsy person
Swedish klumpig, klantig
- klumpigawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- klantigawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- drumligawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- osmidignot elegant or well-planned
- otympligawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- klumpigawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- svårhanterligawkward or inefficient in use or construction
- klantclumsy person
- drummelclumsy person
Tagalog asiwa
- asiwaawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Thai ซุ่มซ่าม, เงอะงะ
- ซุ่มซ่าม (sûm-sâam)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- เงอะงะ (ngə́-ngá)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Turkish sakar
- sakarawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Ukrainian незгра́бний
- незгра́бний (nezhrábnyj)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Vietnamese vụng về
- vụng vềawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Welsh trwsgl, lletchwith
- trwsglawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
- lletchwithawkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Yiddish לעפּיש
- לעפּיש (lepish)awkward, lacking coordination, not graceful, not dexterous
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
clumsy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clumsy
MLA
“clumsy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clumsy. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clumsy,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clumsy.
Source: clumsy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.