Standard Lemma guide

awkwardly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 K W ER0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In an awkward manner; with discomfort or lack of coordination.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

in an awkward manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he bent awkwardly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h2epó Proto-Indo-European *h3ekw- Proto-Indo-European *h2époh3kwos Proto-Germanic *abuhaz Old Norse ǫfugrder. Middle English awke English awk Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Old English -weard English -ward English awkward Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English awkwardly From awkward + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: mallerte — in an awkward manner
  • Finnish: hankalasti — in an awkward manner
  • Finnish: kiusallisesti — in an awkward manner
  • German: unbeholfen — in an awkward manner
  • German: ungeschickt — in an awkward manner
  • German: umständlich — in an awkward manner
  • German: tapsig — in an awkward manner
  • Greek: άγαρμπα (ágarmpa) — in an awkward manner
  • Hungarian: esetlenül — in an awkward manner
  • Russian: неуклю́же (neukljúže) — in an awkward manner
  • Spanish: torpemente — in an awkward manner