Meanings
comparative clunkier · superlative clunkiest
- informalUngainly; awkward; inelegant; cumbersome.
That tomboy's clothing is rather clunky.
1 more example
At a time when Mr. Cameron is being squeezed from both sides — from the right by members of his own party and by the anti-immigrant, anti-Europe U.K. Independence Party, and from the left by his Liberal Democrat coalition partners — the move seemed uncharacteristically clunky.
2013 May 23, Sarah Lyall, “British Leader’s Liberal Turn Sets Off a Rebellion in His Party”, in New York Times, retrieved 29 May 2013 - Being or making a clunk sound.
You might find yourself listening to the sound your car door makes when it shuts. Is it a cheap tinny sound or a strong clunky sound like the VW?
2012, Mike Brent, Fiona Dent, The Leader's Guide to Influence
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Dutch onhandig, onbeholpen
- onhandigungainly and awkward to use
- onbeholpenungainly and awkward to use
German klobig, schwerfällig
- klobigungainly and awkward to use
- schwerfälligungainly and awkward to use
Norwegian Bokmål prakket, tungvint
- prakketungainly and awkward to use
- tungvintungainly and awkward to use
- upraktiskungainly and awkward to use
Portuguese desajeitado
- desajeitadoungainly and awkward to use
Russian неуклюжий
- неуклюжий (neukljužij)ungainly and awkward to use
Spanish burdo, aparatoso
- burdoungainly and awkward to use
- aparatosoungainly and awkward to use
- desgarbadoungainly and awkward to use
- difícil de usarungainly and awkward to use
Turkish elverişsiz, hantal
- elverişsizungainly and awkward to use
- hantalungainly and awkward to use
- kullanışsızungainly and awkward to use
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with clunky
All rhymes →Cite this entry
clunky. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clunky
“clunky.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clunky. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “clunky,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/clunky.
Source: clunky on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.