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View synonyms for unwieldy

unwieldy

or un·wield·ly

[ uhn-weel-dee ]

adjective

, un·wield·i·er, un·wield·i·est.
  1. not wieldy; wielded with difficulty; not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight; awkward; ungainly.

    Synonyms: unmanageable, clumsy, bulky



unwieldy

/ ʌnˈwiːldɪ /

adjective

  1. too heavy, large, or awkwardly shaped to be easily handled
  2. ungainly; clumsy


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Derived Forms

  • unˈwieldiness, noun
  • unˈwieldily, adverb

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Other Words From

  • un·wieldi·ly adverb
  • un·wieldi·ness noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of unwieldy1

First recorded in 1350–1400, unwieldy is from the Middle English word unweldy. See un- 1, wieldy

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Example Sentences

But any biographer of the novel faces a problem more fundamental than compressing between two covers a vast and unwieldy subject.

Lachs writes with clarity and concision—admirable concision, considering how unwieldy university press offerings tend to be.

Turn all those unwieldy tabs into one manageable list with OneTab.

The Wii U Gamepad, although it looks unwieldy at first, is actually great to use.

Unwieldy trash piles or not, the coming treasure hunts are sure to be interesting ones.

But he found the weapon unwieldy, and he returned to his hotel a sadder man than he left it.

His body had grown unwieldy from years and lack of exercise, and his clothes were old-fashioned and, generally, dusty.

His gunners pelted the unwieldy budgerows with round shot until they began to sink.

The women, likewise, are very tall, but too muscular—they might even be termed unwieldy.

The Castilians would doubtless have resented the dismemberment of the unwieldy body of which they formed the head.

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