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unwieldy

 - 3 dictionary results

un⋅wield⋅y

  [uhn-weel-dee]
Use unwieldy in a Sentence
–adjective, -wield⋅i⋅er, -wield⋅i⋅est.
not wieldy; wielded with difficulty; not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight; awkward; ungainly.
Also, un⋅wield⋅ly.

Origin:
1350–1400; ME unweldy. See un- 1 , wieldy

Related forms:
un⋅wield⋅i⋅ly, adverb
un⋅wield⋅i⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
bulky, unmanageable, clumsy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To unwieldy
un·wield·y   (ŭn-wēl'dē)   
adj.   un·wield·i·er, un·wield·i·est
Difficult to carry or manage because of size, shape, weight, or complexity: an unwieldy parcel; an unwieldy bureaucracy.
un·wield'i·ly adv., un·wield'i·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

unwieldy 
c.1386, "lacking strength," from un- (1) "not" + O.E. wielde "active, vigorous," from P.Gmc. *walth- "have power" (see wield). Meaning "moving ungracefully" is recorded from 1530; in ref. to weapons, "difficult to handle, awkward by virtue of size or shape" it is attested from 1547.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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