| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| awkward |
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| SYLLABICATION: | awk·ward |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  ôk w rd |
| ADJECTIVE: | 1. Not graceful; ungainly. 2a. Not dexterous; clumsy. b. Clumsily or unskillfully performed: The opera was marred by an awkward aria. 3a. Difficult to handle or manage: an awkward bundle to carry. b. Difficult to effect; uncomfortable: an awkward pose. 4a. Marked by or causing embarrassment or discomfort: an awkward remark; an awkward silence. b. Requiring great tact, ingenuity, skill, and discretion: An awkward situation arose during the peace talks. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English awkeward, in the wrong way : awke, wrong (from Old Norse öfugr, backward; see apo- in Appendix I) + -ward, -ward. | | OTHER FORMS: | awkward·ly —ADVERB
awkward·ness —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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