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Definition of "awkward" []

  • Not graceful; ungainly. (adjective)
  • Not dexterous; clumsy. (adjective)
  • Clumsily or unskillfully performed: The opera was marred by an awkward aria. (adjective)
  • Difficult to handle or manage: an awkward bundle to carry. (adjective)
  • Difficult to effect; uncomfortable: an awkward pose. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "awkward" in a sentence
  • "MISCELLANEOUS WORDS. adobe _ado'ba_ algebra not _bra_ alien _alyen_, not _alien_ ameliorate _amelyorate_ antarctic _antarktik_ anti not _anti_ archangel _arkangel_ archbishop _arch_, not _ark_ arch fiend _arch_, not _ark_ architect _arkitect_ awkward _awkward_, not _ard_"
  • "Google is betting that its new social network, Google+, will fix what it calls the "awkward" state of online sharing--but Google isn't sharing invitations to its latest project with everyone."
  • "After Mark Zuckerberg moved his social network from Cambridge, Mass., to Palo Alto, Calif., adviser Sean Parker persuaded him to drop what he called the awkward article."