Meaning of unwieldy in English

1. Pronunciation

   /ˌənˈwildi/

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   UK accent

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1. Classifying Adjective

   unwieldy

   Definitions

   1. lacking grace in movement or posture

   Examples

   • « a gawky lad with long ungainly legs »
   • « clumsy fingers »
   • « what an ungainly creature a giraffe is »
   • « heaved his unwieldy figure out of his chair »

   Synonyms

   • awkward

2. Qualitative Adjective

   unwieldy

   Etymology

   late Middle English (in the sense ‘lacking strength, infirm’): from un-‘not’ + wieldy (in the obsolete sense ‘active’)

   Definitions

   1. difficult to use or handle or manage because of size or weight or shape

   Examples

   • « we set about towing the unwieldy structure into the shelter »
   • « almost dropped the unwieldy parcel »

   Synonyms

   • awkward
   • bunglesome
   • clumsy
   • ungainly
   • cumbersome
   • cumbrous

   Antonyms

   • wieldy
   • manageable