clumsy meaning and examples

Meaning

Clumsy means lacking grace, skill, or coordination in movement or action. It can also describe awkwardness in behavior, speech, or design.

Grammar and Usage

• Part of speech: Adjective

• Usage: Describes people, actions, or objects that are awkward, uncoordinated, or poorly done.

• Sentence structure:

  • be + clumsy → “He is clumsy.”
  • clumsy + noun → “a clumsy attempt,” “a clumsy dancer.”

Common Phrases

• clumsy mistake – an obvious, careless error.
• clumsy attempt – an awkward or ineffective try.
• clumsy excuse – an unconvincing or poorly made excuse.
• clumsy person – someone prone to accidents or awkwardness.

Collocations

• verb + clumsy: feel clumsy, look clumsy, seem clumsy
• adverb + clumsy: very clumsy, extremely clumsy, rather clumsy
• noun + clumsy: clumsy hands, clumsy movement, clumsy design

Examples

1. He is so clumsy that he often drops his phone.
2. She made a clumsy attempt to explain her absence.
3. The waiter gave a clumsy excuse after spilling the drink.
4. His clumsy movements made everyone laugh.
5. That was a clumsy mistake that could have been avoided.
6. The speech sounded clumsy and unprepared.
7. She felt clumsy wearing high heels for the first time.
8. The child’s clumsy drawing was still very cute.

Synonyms or Related

• Awkward
• Ungainly
• Inept
• Bungling
• Gawky