unwieldy

CEFRB2

/ˌʌnˈwɪəl.di/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Large, heavy, or awkward to handle.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate because of its size, weight, shape or complexity.

Examples

  • Two heaping handfuls of cheese made for a rather unwieldy quesadilla.

  • It was too unwieldy for me.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Ungraceful in movement.

  2. Lacking strength; weak.

  3. Badly managed or operated.

More examples

In context

  • However, the constellation of Argo Navis was so huge and unwieldy that in the 1932 revision, the International Astronomical Union committee chopped it up into a keel (Carina), a poop (Puppis) and sails (Vela).

  • She is popular with passengers as an all-weather vessel, but rather the reverse with yachtsmen as she has at times proved somewhat unwieldy, and certainly takes up a good deal of space in the narrow channels.

  • Recorded music came in unwieldy packages and odd shapes.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The large box was too blank for one person to carry up the stairs.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English unweldy, equivalent to un- + wieldy. Cognate with Old Frisian unweldich, unweldech (“having no power, involuntary”), Middle Dutch onweldich (“having no control or mastery over”), Middle Low German unweldich (“unwieldy”). Compare also Old High German unwaltīg (“powerless”), whence Middle High German unwaltic, German ungewaltig (“powerless, unmighty”).