ungainly
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++un·gain·ly /ʌnˈɡeɪnli/ adjective CLUMSYmoving in a way that does not look graceful 〔动作〕笨拙的，难看的，不优雅的 a tall ungainly teenager 一个动作笨拙的高个子少年 —ungainliness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
ungainly• I felt old, fat, and ungainly.• They were, in a word, ungainly.• She was old, fat and ungainly, and had to struggle to get to her feet.• It was ungainly, and slow, but the method worked.• It was four feet tall, ungainly and untuned, and Clarisa was no musician.• Dinosaurs were huge ungainly animals with tiny brains.• What a relief I thought, that that ungainly thing was no longer needed by me.• He had been an attractive youth, tall, rather ungainly, with a thatch of black hair.Origin ungainly (1600-1700) gainly “proper, graceful, pleasing” ((14-20 centuries)), from gain “direct, kind, useful” ((10-19 centuries)), from Old Norse gegnun·gain·ly adjectiveChineseSyllable
that not moving Corpus does a way in
ungainly
un‧gain‧ly /ʌnˈɡeɪnli/
adjective
a tall ungainly teenager
—ungainliness noun [uncountable]
▪ clumsy adjective moving or doing things in a careless way, especially so that you drop things, knock into things etc: She was very clumsy and was always walking into doors. | With clumsy fingers he took out a pack of cigarettes and tried to light one.
▪awkward adjective moving in a way that does not seem relaxed or comfortable: Her husband always looked a bit awkward when he was dancing. | an awkward teenager
▪ungainly adjective moving in a way that is not graceful – used especially about people or things that are big: The ostrich is rather an ungainly bird. | She collapsed into the chair in an ungainly manner.
▪uncoordinated adjective not able to control your movements very well, and therefore not very good at physical activities: When she first starting playing tennis, her movements were slow and uncoordinated.
▪accident-prone adjective often having accidents: I was very accident-prone as a child and was always having to go to hospital.
▪be all fingers and thumbs British English informal, be all thumbs American English informal to be unable to control your fingers very well, so that you cannot do something: ‘Do you want some help unwrapping that?’ ‘Yes please, I’m all fingers and thumbs today.’
un‧gain‧ly /ʌnˈɡeɪnli/
adjective Date: 1600-1700
Origin: gainly 'proper, graceful, pleasing' (14-20 centuries), from gain 'direct, kind, useful' (10-19 centuries), from Old Norse gegn
moving in a way that does not look graceful:Origin: gainly 'proper, graceful, pleasing' (14-20 centuries), from gain 'direct, kind, useful' (10-19 centuries), from Old Norse gegn
—ungainliness noun [uncountable]
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