clumsy
[adjective]
Synonyms: awkward, bumbling, gauche, gawky, ham-fisted (informal), lumbering, maladroit, ponderous, uncoordinated, ungainly, unwieldy

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Contrasted words: comely, shapely, well-formed, well-proportioned, apt, deft, handy, quick, ready
Related Idioms: all thumbs, fingers all thumbs
Related Words: butterfingered, heavy-handed, left-handed, unhandy, graceless, inelegant, uncouth, bulky, hulking, unwieldy

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English Thesaurus: careless, clumsy, sloppy, reckless, irresponsible, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

clum‧sy /ˈklʌmzi/ adjective (comparative clumsier, superlative clumsiest)
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Probably from clumse 'too cold to feel anything' (16-19 centuries), from a Scandinavian language]

1. moving or doing things in a careless way, especially so that you drop things, knock into things etc:
A clumsy waiter spilled wine all over her new skirt.
a clumsy attempt to catch the ball

2. a clumsy object is not easy to use and is often large and heavy

3. a clumsy action or statement is said or done carelessly or badly, and likely to upset someone:
David made a clumsy attempt to comfort us.
—clumsily adverb
—clumsiness noun [uncountable]

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

careless not paying enough attention to what you are doing, so that you make mistakes, damage things etc:
I made a few careless mistakes.
It was careless of you to leave your purse lying about.
He started getting careless about taking his medication.
clumsy often dropping or breaking things because you move around in a careless way:
I’m so clumsy, I spilt milk all over the floor.
a clumsy child
sloppy careless and lazy in the way you do your work or in your behaviour generally:
As a student, he was brilliant but sloppy.
I will not tolerate sloppy work.
reckless especially written doing dangerous or stupid things without thinking about your own or other people’s safety:
The driver of the car was arrested for reckless driving.
His actions showed a reckless disregard for human life.
irresponsible careless in a way that might affect other people, especially when you should be taking care of them:
It’s irresponsible for parents to let their children smoke.
his irresponsible attitude to keeping animals
tactless carelessly saying something that upsets or embarrasses someone, without intending to do this:
He kept making tactless remarks about her appearance.
a tactless question
I thought it would be tactless to ask about her divorce.
casual not being careful enough about something and treating it as though it is not important:
He seems to have a very casual attitude towards his work.
She disliked the casual way in which he made decisions affecting other people’s lives.
negligent careless about something that you are responsible for, so that serious mistakes are made – used especially when someone will be officially punished for this:
The doctor was negligent in using the wrong type of needle.
They found him guilty of negligent conduct.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

clumsy adjective moving or doing things in a careless way, especially so that you drop things, knock into things etc:
She was very clumsy and was always walking into doors.
With clumsy fingers he took out a pack of cigarettes and tried to light one.
awkward adjective moving in a way that does not seem relaxed or comfortable:
Her husband always looked a bit awkward when he was dancing.
an awkward teenager
ungainly adjective moving in a way that is not graceful – used especially about people or things that are big:
The ostrich is rather an ungainly bird.
She collapsed into the chair in an ungainly manner.
uncoordinated adjective not able to control your movements very well, and therefore not very good at physical activities:
When she first starting playing tennis, her movements were slow and uncoordinated.
accident-prone adjective often having accidents:
I was very accident-prone as a child and was always having to go to hospital.
be all fingers and thumbs British English informal, be all thumbs American English informal to be unable to control your fingers very well, so that you cannot do something:
‘Do you want some help unwrapping that?’ ‘Yes please, I’m all fingers and thumbs today.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲