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awkward

adj
/ˈɔːk.wəd/UK/ˈaːk.wɐd//ˈɔk.wɚd/US

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ep Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ- Proto-Indo-European *h₂époh₃kʷos Proto-Germanic *abuhaz Old Norse ǫfugrder. Middle English awke English awk Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Old English -weard English -ward English awkward From awk (“odd, clumsy”) + -ward. Compare Middle English aukeward (“in the wrong direction”).

  1. derived from *abuhaz✻
  2. derived from ǫfugr
  3. inherited from awke
  4. suffixed as awkward — “awk + ward”

Definitions

  1. Lacking dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments.

    • John was awkward at performing the trick. He'll have to practice to improve.

  2. Not easily managed or effected

    Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing.

    • That was an extremely awkward moment. Everyone was watching.
    • An awkward silence had fallen.

  3. Lacking social skills, or uncomfortable with social interaction.

    • I'm very awkward at parties.
    • Things got awkward when my boss tried a cheesy pick-up line on me.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. Perverse

      Perverse; adverse; difficult to handle.

      • He's a right awkward chap.
      • These cabinets are going to be very awkward when we move.
      • Clearing up rock and fallen vegetation at such an awkward site required a team of specialist geoengineers.

    2. Someone or something that is awkward.

      • Another important branch of deportment was to seat the awkwards stiffly on the extreme edge of a chair, fold the hands on the very precarious lap, droop the eyes in a pensive way.
      • That is a way to make awkwards. And it's not fun to hang out with awkwards more than once.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at awkward. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01awkward02embarrassing03embarrass04money05entity06data07tape08sticky

A definitional loop anchored at awkward. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

8 hops · closes at awkward

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA