adj
unwieldy
Unwieldy (adj) means having little physical strength.
adj
1
Having little physical strength.
2
Moving in a clumsy, awkward way.
3
Hard to carry or use because it is too big, heavy or awkwardly shaped.
"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)."
— Patrick Moore, Stargazing: Astronomy without a telescope (1985)
"Recorded music came in unwieldy packages and odd shapes."
— Rob Long, Why I won’t invest in anything that involves effort (2017)
4
Run or organised very poorly.
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Etymology
Comes from Middle English unweldy, made up of un- and wieldy. Cognate with Old Frisian unweldich, unweldech (“having no power, involuntary”), Middle Dutch onweldich (“having no control or mastery over”), and Middle Low German unweldich (“unwieldy”). Compare also Old High German unwaltīg (“powerless”), from which came Middle High German unwaltic and German ungewaltig (“powerless, unmighty”).
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
wieldy
Related words
Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of unwieldy?
"unwieldy" (adj) means having little physical strength.
What is another word for unwieldy?
Other words for "unwieldy" include clunky, gawky, unmanageable, clumsy, ungainly.
What is the opposite of unwieldy?
The opposite of "unwieldy" is wieldy.
What are the different meanings of unwieldy?
"unwieldy" has 3 main meanings: 1. Having little physical strength; 2. Moving in a clumsy, awkward way; 3. Hard to carry or use because it is too big, heavy or awkwardly shaped.
