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
But using SAVE for this sort of verification was unwieldy.
—
Miles Parks, NPR, 28 June 2025
As traditional legal systems often prove unwieldy or unfit for specific disagreements, DDR offers fast, fair outcomes.
—Saro McKenna, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
As unwieldy as this melodrama is, much of it proves that Roustaee remains a gifted young director who surely has more stories to tell.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Perhaps, with all the conquests, alliances and intermarriages, the elite class had grown too large and unwieldy for common farmers to support in a time when food supplies were dwindling, Rosado-Ramirez suggested to me.
—Lizzie Wade, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Miles Parks, NPR, 28 June 2025
As traditional legal systems often prove unwieldy or unfit for specific disagreements, DDR offers fast, fair outcomes.
—Saro McKenna, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
As unwieldy as this melodrama is, much of it proves that Roustaee remains a gifted young director who surely has more stories to tell.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 23 May 2025
Perhaps, with all the conquests, alliances and intermarriages, the elite class had grown too large and unwieldy for common farmers to support in a time when food supplies were dwindling, Rosado-Ramirez suggested to me.
—Lizzie Wade, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for unwieldy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unwieldy
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 official title is technically F1®: The Movie, an ungainly, trademarked reminder of both the brand the film was made in conjunction with, and the fact that that brand is so big that this $200-300 million Hollywood production is a blip in comparison.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
26 June 2025
-
The cornerstones of maps’ data pools are satellite images and a tireless fleet of Street View cars that roam with ungainly camera hats, constantly refreshing neighborhood-level detail.—
Sonya Bennett-Brandt,
AFAR Media,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The clunky suit was uncomfortable and yes, claustrophobic.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
18 July 2025
-
Glass bottle is a little clunky Stubborn dark spots and uneven skin patches have nothing on this energizing cleanser that has AHA, BHA, papaya enzymes, and ginger root to help even tone and minimize large pores.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
17 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unwieldy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unwieldy. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share