as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design even my five-year-old laptop seems clunky next to some of the really slim new models

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of clunky Swap out your old, clunky TV for a sleek new model while these Prime Day deals last. Clara McMahon, People.com, 10 July 2025 There are a few family members who only wear olive, mustard, khaki, black and other dull colors; clunky, unattractive shoes; and few accessories. Judith Martin, Mercury News, 28 June 2025 No detail was too small for New Balance: even the lace-up closure is designed for easy adjustability, especially helpful at TSA when juggling bins, shoes, and (in my case) a clunky double stroller loaded with twin babies. Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2025 An apartment dweller's Reddit post has sparked widespread frustration over a neighbor's clunky habit. Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for clunky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for clunky
Adjective
  • And Hank’s own clumsy attempts at hypermasculine child-rearing often come from his father, Cotton (Toby Huss).
    Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 7 July 2025
  • Gone are are the days of clumsy imagery and texts and fake sign-in pages that can be detected in an instant.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • The house was a little awkward and needed some work, including in the living room, which had a mix of original wood flooring and vinyl.
    Thomas Fuller, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • Yet that has led to an awkward UX for those who lean into portrait mode.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Developers have complained for years that the city’s cumbersome construction permitting process takes far too long, adding costs to projects.
    John Aguilar, Denver Post, 22 July 2025
  • The best thing of all are the performances of early American folk songs that the two men record on cumbersome equipment.
    Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • The difficulty comes with the 2-in-1 capability, where the laptop's large screen becomes a downright unwieldy tablet.
    Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 17 July 2025
  • From some perspectives, that expansion is revolutionary; recent studies have found that AI has the potential to provide more accurate medical diagnoses and help make sense of complex and unwieldy data.
    Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 11 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Clunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/clunky. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on clunky

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!