Meaning of awkward in English

awkward

adjective

/ˈɑː.kwɚd/ uk

/ˈɔː.kwəd/

awkward adjective (DIFFICULT)

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difficult to use, do, or deal with:

It's an awkward corner, so take it slowly.

Some of the questions were rather awkward.

It was an awkward ascent, but we reached the top eventually.

[ + to infinitive ] My car's quite awkward to drive.

He's an awkward customer (= a difficult person to deal with).

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

not easy to deal with or understand

difficultIt's very difficult to find a job in this city.
hardThe exam was really hard.
complicatedThe instructions were so complicated I couldn't follow them.
complexDesigning a house is a complex process.
trickyIt's pretty tricky getting these puzzle pieces to fit together.

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More examplesFewer examples

If he persists in asking awkward questions, then send him to the boss.
When two of your best friends argue it puts you in a very awkward position.
He fielded some awkward questions very skillfully.
If they ask any awkward questions, just let me do the talking.
It's going to be awkward, to say the least.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Complicated and difficult to do

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awkward adjective (EMBARRASSING)

causing problems, worry, or embarrassment:

awkward position The government finds itself in a very awkward position.

awkward situation He put us in a very awkward situation by asking us what we thought of his new girlfriend right in front of her.

awkward silence There followed an awkward silence while we all tried to think of something to say.

They'd chosen an awkward time to call as I'd just gotten into the bathtub.

awkward question The police asked some awkward questions about where the money had come from.

embarrassed or nervous:

feel awkward I always feel awkward when I'm with Chris - he's so difficult to talk to.

He seemed a little awkward when I first met him.

More examplesFewer examples

He's very deft at handling awkward situations.
Somehow she managed to fend off the awkward questions.
It's always awkward when you meet someone you know, but you can't remember their name.
Her remarks produced an awkward silence.
After a long, awkward pause someone asked a question.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Inconvenience

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Embarrassing

Anxious and worried

Ashamed and embarrassed

awkward adjective (NOT HELPFUL)

mainly UK

intentionally not helpful:

Just stop being so awkward and help me push the car, will you!

Synonym

uncooperative

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Unhelpful and Uncooperative

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awkward adjective (MOVEMENT)

moving in a way that is not natural, relaxed, or attractive:

His movements were slow and awkward.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Inability and awkwardness

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Related word

awkwardness

Idiom

the awkward gang

(Definition of awkward from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

awkward | Intermediate English

awkward

adjective

/ˈɔk·wərd/

awkward adjective (DIFFICULT)

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difficult to use, do, or deal with:

The computer came in a big box that was awkward to carry.

awkward adjective (ANXIOUS)

causing inconvenience, anxiety, or embarrassment:

It was an awkward situation, because the restaurant was too expensive for us but we didn’t want to just get up and walk out.

Someone who feels awkward feels embarrassed or nervous:

We were the first to arrive at the party and felt a little awkward.

awkward adjective (LACKING GRACE)

lacking grace or skill when moving:

He’s too awkward – he’ll never be a good dancer.

awkwardness

noun [ U ] us

/ˈɔ·kwərd·nəs/

His awkwardness with girls disappeared once he got to college.

(Definition of awkward from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of awkward

awkward

That was a first awkward note in a delicate farewell dance.

From Los Angeles Times

It's just very awkward to share the output of your files.

From VentureBeat

They capped off the fictional account with an awkward but good-natured on-camera kiss.

From cleveland.com

Settling debts with friends can be awkward and unpleasant.

From TechCrunch

The pickup trucks are one of the most glaring symbols of the awkward transition between tradition and modern technology.

From International Business Times

That decision might deal you an awkward place 36 months down the road.

From Dallas Morning News

I am still awkward, with a limp wrist and a lispy stutter.

From Huffington Post

The nearly two year-old report nonetheless comes at an awkward moment for the military.

From Foreign Policy

It takes time, energy and sometimes it's awkward getting up a few steps.

From Huffington Post

A letter of recommendation is awkward to hand over.

From Huffington Post

It's every bit as awkward as it sounds.

From Los Angeles Times

Jobs that require activities like heavy lifting, awkward postures and high physical exertion are known to increase blood pressure and heart rate.

From TIME

It made for an awkward, anticipatory feeling that's never gone away.

From Billboard

His truest self is shy, awkward and basically well-intentioned, as unsuited for life in public as he is suited for hitting a ball.

From ESPN

I know that the machines are awkward and uncomfortable, but the difference it makes is more than worth the effort.

From CNN

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of awkward?

B2,B2,C2