Maladroit (en. Clumsy)

/maladʁwa/

Meaning & Definition

EnglishFrench

adjective

Describes someone who shows clumsiness.

He is really clumsy with tools.

Il est vraiment maladroit avec les outils.

Someone who acts with little skill or dexterity.

His clumsiness put him in an embarrassing situation.

Sa maladresse l'a mis dans une situation embarrassante.

Describes an action performed in a clumsy manner.

This clumsy attempt failed.

Cette tentative maladroite a échoué.

From the prefix 'mal-' meaning 'bad' and 'adroit' meaning 'skillful'.

clumsy like an elephant in a china shop

Describes someone who is extremely awkward in their actions.

maladroit comme un éléphant dans un magasin de porcelaine

to show clumsiness

To act in a clumsy or ineffective manner.

faire preuve de maladresse

to be awkward in one's words

To say things in an inappropriate or tactless way.

être maladroit dans ses paroles

to misalign

To make something awkward or distorted.

gauchir

skill

The ability to act with ease and competence.

habileté

dexterity

Agility in movements.

adresse

A bit silly

He acted a bit silly trying to juggle.

Il a agi comme un peu bêta en essayant de jongler.

Not very sharp

His response was not very sharp for a serious discussion.

Sa réponse était pas très finaud pour une discussion sérieuse.