1
as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
a graceless person who was a butterfingered lout when it came to playing basketball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
was a graceless preteen but evolved into a confident teenager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
one guest made a graceless comment about the bride's bleached hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
her graceless dancing was painful to watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in improper
showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations
indifferent to the nuances of constructive criticism, she sometimes says things which are hurtful or graceless
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 graceless
Trump’s remarks were monumentally graceless, showing again the emptiness of his character.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
Still, Trump should want her endorsement and should be trying to woo her — and those voters — instead of engaging in his typically graceless behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for graceless
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 July 2024
Still, Trump should want her endorsement and should be trying to woo her — and those voters — instead of engaging in his typically graceless behavior.
—The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See All Example Sentences for graceless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graceless
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
-
For marketers, this is both exciting and uncomfortable.—
Francesca Pezzoli,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
-
But the odd tone of their recent fight when Miranda comments on Carrie’s flirtation with her writer neighbor Duncan (Jonathan Cake) is uncomfortable.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
23 July 2025
Adjective
-
Once the encounter was posted online, internet sleuths quickly detected the identity of the duo, and the encounter was deemed particularly inappropriate given Byron is married.—
Kim Elsesser,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Back then, Trump derided White House events for foreign dignitaries held in tents, saying that was an inappropriate way to entertain them.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
20 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
-
His attorneys are now seeking access to information from prosecutors and from Mangione's insurer, Aetna, arguing the subpoena was improper.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
18 July 2025
-
The county inspector general, in a December 2021 report, found mismanagement in the district and improper payments made to district trustees.—
Mike Nolan,
Chicago Tribune,
18 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pico’s other headsets are not sold in North America and ByteDance and the Trump administration have an uneasy relationship at best.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
15 July 2025
-
The carpenters’ stance has created a split in the labor movement that makes lawmakers uneasy and sometimes spills into public view.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
13 July 2025
Adjective
-
Intermittent fasting, for example, may be unsuitable for people with pre-existing conditions or irritable bowel syndrome.—
Desireé Oostland,
Vogue,
17 July 2025
-
While effective in commercial spheres, this approach to AI, which often involves a disregard for data privacy, is viewed as unsuitable for Washington.—
Dean DeBiase,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
So, what will moral and democratic revival look like when the ground beneath is unsteady?—
F. Willis Johnson,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
-
Facial wrinkles, gray hairs, an unsteady walk: these all signal older age.—
Alice Park,
Time,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Graceless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graceless. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share