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awkward

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 19 July 2016

Etymology

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Fromawk(“odd, clumsy”) +‎-ward.[1] CompareMiddle Englishaukeward(“in the wrong direction”).

Pronunciation

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Adjective

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awkward (comparativemoreawkward,superlativemostawkward)

  1. Lackingdexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
    Synonyms:clumsy,lubberly,ungraceful,unhandy
    Antonyms:dexterous,gainly,graceful,handy,skillful
    John wasawkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practice to improve.
  2. Not easilymanaged oreffected;embarrassing.
    That was an extremelyawkward moment. Everyone was watching.
    Anawkward silence had fallen.
  3. Lackingsocial skills, oruncomfortable with social interaction.
    Synonym:maladroit
    Antonyms:amiable,cool
    I'm veryawkward at parties.
    Things gotawkward when my boss tried a cheesy pick-up line on me.
  4. Perverse;adverse; difficult tohandle.
    He's a rightawkward chap.
    These cabinets are going to be veryawkward when we move.
    • 2020 August 26, Andrew Mourant, “Reinforced against future flooding”, inRail, page61:
      Clearing up rock and fallen vegetation at such anawkward site required a team of specialist geoengineers.

Derived terms

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Translations

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lacking dexterity in the use of the hands
not easily managed or effected; embarrassing
lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction
perverse; adverse; untoward

Noun

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awkward (pluralawkwards)

  1. Someone or something that is awkward.
    • 1912, Eliza Ripley,Social Life in Old New Orleans, Being Recollections of My Girlhood, New York, N.Y., London:D. Appleton & Company,→OCLC:
      Another important branch of deportment was to seat theawkwards stiffly on the extreme edge of a chair, fold the hands on the very precarious lap, droop the eyes in a pensive way.
    • 1998,Leo Marks,Between Silk and Cyanide: The Story of SOE's Code War, London:HarperCollins,→ISBN:
      'What periods are you talking about?' / 'The monthlyawkwards. Didn't the girls at Molyneux have them when you were managing director?' / The Rabbit leaned forward, sniffing the air in the immediate vicinity. 'Either you've been drinking or you've got some girl into trouble. Or am I being unfair to you and it's both?'
    • 2014,Grace Helbig,Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up, New York, N.Y.: Touchstone Books,Simon & Schuster,→ISBN, page76:
      That is a way to makeawkwards. And it's not fun to hang out withawkwards more than once.

References

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  1. ^“awkward,adv. andadj.”, inOED OnlinePaid subscription required⁠, Oxford:Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
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