ungainly
6 synonyms and 1 antonym for ungainly, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Awkward and without grace.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
Etymology
Ungainly is formed from un- (“not”) and gainly (“graceful; becoming; proper, suitable; gracious, kindly”), itself from gain (“dexterous; convenient, easy, handy; suitable”), which traces to Old Norse gegn (“fit, serviceable; direct, straight; honest; kindly”) plus -ly (a suffix forming adjectives from nouns). Compare d...
Full origin of ungainly →