Awkward

/ˈɔːkwərd/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

lacking grace or ease in movement or performance; clumsy.

His awkward attempts at dancing made everyone uncomfortable.

causing difficulty; hard to deal with.

The team faced an awkward situation when they had to present their findings without the main data.

socially uncomfortable; embarrassing.

There was an awkward silence after she made an inappropriate joke.

not coordinated or well-designed.

The awkward layout of the room made it difficult to move around comfortably.

Middle English, from 'awk' (backward) and 'ward', meaning 'turned in a direction that is not normal'

an awkward moment:

a point in time that causes discomfort due to social missteps

awkward silence:

a period of silence that occurs in conversation that is uncomfortable or embarrassing

awkward situation:

a circumstance that makes people feel uncomfortable

awkward turtle:

a playful expression used to describe discomfort in a situation

cringe-worthy

Their flirting was so awkward, it was totally cringe-worthy.

weird

That party had an awkward vibe, it felt really weird.