as in clumsy
difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design
an unwieldy machine that requires two people to operate it
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 unwieldy
Somalia proved to be a classic example of mission creep; over time, the goal grew so unwieldy that the United States promised more than it was prepared to deliver.
—
Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2025
This mini cooler was easy to use, not unwieldy in its design, and most importantly, kept food from spoiling, despite sitting in the sun at times and spending a couple hours sans power.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
What to Consider This bike is heavy, and can feel unwieldy on tight turns.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
Providing succulents with too much fertilizer can cause these plants to grow too quickly and develop unwieldy stems that are prone to breaking.
6.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Dennis Ross, Foreign Affairs, 19 Mar. 2025
This mini cooler was easy to use, not unwieldy in its design, and most importantly, kept food from spoiling, despite sitting in the sun at times and spending a couple hours sans power.
—Peter Nelson, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
What to Consider This bike is heavy, and can feel unwieldy on tight turns.
—Maggie Slepian, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2025
Providing succulents with too much fertilizer can cause these plants to grow too quickly and develop unwieldy stems that are prone to breaking.
6.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
Adjective
-
Raw also advertised Bayley challenging Lyra Valkyria for the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio and the world’s most clumsy GM Adam Pearce making his next fumble of the worst storyline going this WrestleMania season between Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair and Iyo Sky.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
7 Apr. 2025
-
This is why the Trump administration’s DOGE exercise — while clumsy at times — is such an important endeavor despite Democratic efforts to discredit it.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Sisterhood in sports can come with awkward moments, though.—
Evan Drellich,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Michelle Williams truly showed how to remain graceful under pressure this weekend as she was put in an awkward situation mid-air.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
As legal professionals gain increasing authority over AI deployment decisions, new internal stakeholders are introduced, making the organizational process of adopting AI systems more cumbersome.—
Nizan Geslevich Packin,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Like so many others, they are left with an impossible choice: involve the criminal justice system — which may be slow, cumbersome and invasive — or do nothing and hope the situation doesn’t escalate.—
Eric Gonzalez,
New York Daily News,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
That dispute was patched over by an ungainly agreement, negotiated between the European Commission and the U.S. government.—
Henry Farrell,
Foreign Affairs,
3 Apr. 2025
-
Examples imported from 1975 through 1985 had rather ungainly impact bumpers, so early, chrome-bumper cars are aesthetically more desirable.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The new console boasts an integrated chat feature, eliminating the clunky external phone connections of its predecessor.—
Eammonn Dignam,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The Sabres led 1-0 after a clunky first period thanks to a give-and-go power play goal with 19 seconds left before intermission.—
Adam Beasley,
Miami Herald,
12 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share