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awkward

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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WOTD – 19 July 2016

Etymology

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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

    From awk (“odd, clumsy”) +‎ -ward.[1] Compare Middle English aukeward (“in the wrong direction”).

    Pronunciation

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    Adjective

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    awkward (comparative more awkward, superlative most awkward)

    1. Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.
      Synonyms: clumsy, lubberly, ungraceful, unhandy, gawky
      Antonyms: dexterous, gainly, graceful, handy, skillful
      John was awkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practice to improve.
    2. Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing.
      Synonym: recalcitrant
      That was an extremely awkward moment. Everyone was watching.
      An awkward silence had fallen.
    3. Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.
      Synonyms: maladroit, gauche
      Antonyms: amiable, cool
      I'm very awkward at parties.
      Things got awkward when my boss tried a cheesy pick-up line on me.
    4. Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle.
      He's a right awkward chap.
      These cabinets are going to be very awkward when we move.
      • 2020 August 26, Andrew Mourant, “Reinforced against future flooding”, in Rail, page 61:
        Clearing up rock and fallen vegetation at such an awkward site required a team of specialist geoengineers.

    Derived terms

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    Translations

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    Noun

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    awkward (plural awkwards)

    1. Someone or something that is awkward.
      • 1912, Eliza Ripley, Social Life in Old New Orleans, Being Recollections of My Girlhood, New York, N.Y.; London: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
        Another important branch of deportment was to seat the awkwards stiffly on the extreme edge of a chair, fold the hands on the very precarious lap, droop the eyes in a pensive way.
      • 1998, Leo Marks, Between Silk and Cyanide: The Story of SOE's Code War, London: HarperCollins, →ISBN:
        'What periods are you talking about?' / 'The monthly awkwards. Didn't the girls at Molyneux have them when you were managing director?' / The Rabbit leaned forward, sniffing the air in the immediate vicinity. 'Either you've been drinking or you've got some girl into trouble. Or am I being unfair to you and it's both?'
      • 2014, Grace Helbig, Grace's Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grown-up, New York, N.Y.: Touchstone Books, Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 76:
        That is a way to make awkwards. And it's not fun to hang out with awkwards more than once.

    References

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    1. ^ “awkward, adv. and adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

    German

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    Etymology

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    Unadapted borrowing from English awkward.

    Adjective

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    awkward (not comparable)

    1. (youth slang) awkward, embarassing
      Synonyms: peinlich, unangenehm
      • 2019 June 21, Hengameh Yaghoobifarah, “Kolumne Habibitus: Sühne als Migrantenkind”, in Die Tageszeitung: taz‎[1], →ISSN:
        Also rief ich Onkel A. an, der mich mit einem awkward „lange nicht mehr gesehen“ grüßte.
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)
      • 2026 March 18, Viktoria Morasch, “Jugendliche Mädchen: "Alleine treffe ich keinen Jungen"”, in Die Zeit‎[2], Hamburg, →ISSN:
        "Ich bin sehr awkward, ich hoffe, das ist nicht schlimm", sagt Lilly, als unser Gespräch beginnt.
        (please add an English translation of this quotation)
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