awkward

AWK-wurd/ˈɔkwɚd/SayAWK-wuhdUK/ˈɔːkwəd//ˈoːkwəd/

5 meanings of awkward

1
adjective
Hard to deal with, or causing an uncomfortable, embarrassing feeling.
Like trying to fit a long table through a narrow doorway.
There was an awkward silence after he forgot her name.
Splitting the bill among ten people turned into an awkward task.
Similarembarrassing, uncomfortable, tricky, delicate, difficult
Oppositeeasy, comfortable
2
adjective
Not good with people, or feeling uneasy around others.
Like standing in a room full of strangers and not knowing what to say.
He felt awkward at the party where he knew no one.
She gave an awkward wave and quickly looked away.
Similargauche, maladroit
Oppositeamiable
3
adjective
Not good at using your hands or tools, and clumsy with them.
Like trying to write neatly with your weaker hand.
He was awkward with the scissors and cut the paper crookedly.
Her first attempts at knitting were slow and awkward.
Similarclumsy, ungraceful, gawky, unhandy
Oppositegraceful, skillful, handy, dexterous
Note
4
adjective
Hard to manage because a person or thing will not cooperate.
Like a door that sticks every single time you try to open it.
The customer was being awkward and refused every offer we made.
Don't be awkward. Just sign the form and we can leave.
Similardifficult, uncooperative, obstinate, stubborn, contrary
Oppositecooperative, accommodating, obliging, helpful
Note
5
nouncountable
A person or thing that is clumsy, difficult, or makes others feel uneasy.
Like the one kid in a game who keeps dropping the ball.
Among the smooth talkers, he was the awkward who never knew what to say.
The new puppy was the awkward of the litter, tripping over its own paws.
Note

Practice

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Origin

From an old word 'awk', meaning odd or clumsy, plus '-ward'.