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awkwardness

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awkwardness


  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Awkward  \Awk"ward\,  a.  [Awk  +  -ward.] 
  1.  Wanting  dexterity  in  the  use  of  the  hands,  or  of 
  instruments;  not  dexterous;  without  skill;  clumsy;  wanting 
  ease,  grace,  or  effectiveness  in  movement;  ungraceful;  as 
  he  was  awkward  at  a  trick;  an  awkward  boy. 
 
  And  dropped  an  awkward  courtesy.  --Dryden. 
 
  2.  Not  easily  managed  or  effected;  embarrassing. 
 
  A  long  and  awkward  process.  --Macaulay. 
 
  An  awkward  affair  is  one  that  has  gone  wrong  and  is 
  difficult  to  adjust  --C.  J.  Smith. 
 
  3.  Perverse;  adverse;  untoward.  [Obs.]  ``Awkward 
  casualties.''  ``Awkward  wind.''  --Shak. 
 
  O  blind  guides,  which  being  of  an  awkward  religion, 
  do  strain  out  a  gnat,  and  swallow  up  a  cancel. 
  --Udall. 
 
  Syn:  Ungainly;  unhandy;  clownish;  lubberly;  gawky;  maladroit; 
  bungling;  inelegant;  ungraceful;  unbecoming. 
 
  Usage:  {Awkward},  {Clumsy},  {Uncouth}.  Awkward  has  a  special 
  reference  to  outward  deportment.  A  man  is  clumsy  in 
  his  whole  person,  he  is  awkward  in  his  gait  and  the 
  movement  of  his  limbs.  Clumsiness  is  seen  at  the  first 
  view.  Awkwardness  is  discovered  only  when  a  person 
  begins  to  move  Hence  the  expressions,  a  clumsy 
  appearance,  and  an  awkward  manner.  When  we  speak 
  figuratively  of  an  awkward  excuse,  we  think  of  a  want 
  of  ease  and  grace  in  making  it  when  we  speak  of  a 
  clumsy  excuse,  we  think  of  the  whole  thing  as  coarse 
  and  stupid.  We  apply  the  term  uncouth  most  frequently 
  to  that  which  results  from  the  want  of  instruction  or 
  training;  as  uncouth  manners;  uncouth  language.  -- 
  {Awk"ward*ly},  adv  --  {Awk"ward*ness},  n. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  awkwardness 
  n  1:  unskillfulness  resulting  from  a  lack  of  training  [syn:  {clumsiness}, 
  {ineptness},  {ineptitude},  {maladroitness},  {slowness}] 
  2:  the  quality  of  an  embarrassing  situation;  "he  sensed  the 
  awkwardness  of  his  proposal"  [syn:  {inconvenience},  {nuisance 
  value}] 
  3:  the  carriage  of  someone  whose  movements  and  posture  are 
  ungainly  or  inelegant  [syn:  {clumsiness}]  [ant:  {gracefulness}] 
  4:  the  inelegance  of  someone  stiff  and  unrelaxed  (as  by 
  embarrassment)  [syn:  {clumsiness},  {gracelessness},  {stiffness}] 
  5:  trouble  in  carrying  or  managing  caused  by  bulk  or  shape: 
  "the  movers  cursed  the  unwieldiness  of  the  big  piano" 
  [syn:  {cumbersomeness},  {unwieldiness}] 




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