clumsy person

1 3.4

A person who moves awkwardly and often drops or breaks things

noun
/ˈklʌm.zi ˈpɜr.sən/

: torpe

My brother is such a clumsy person that he knocked over the entire table during dinner.

Examples

So I think it's a lot more fun to have clumsy people ambling through the world.

Blog text (5)
I should think you were the least clumsy person I'd ever met.

Now, Voyager (1942)
Everyone knows that John is a clumsy person who often trips over his own feet.
As a clumsy person, Alice frequently drops things when she tries to pick them up.

Synonyms

lump

vsclumsy person

Offensive

35 7.7

A person who is awkward or slow to do things

focuses solely on physical lack of coordination rather than mental slowness

schlemiel

vsclumsy person

Offensive

2 9.9

A person who is often clumsy and makes mistakes

focuses on general awkward movement rather than repeated bungling

stumblebum

vsclumsy person

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who is clumsy and acts in a silly, awkward way

is used neutrally for awkward movement without implying foolishness or incompetence

schlepper

vsclumsy person

Offensive

1 9.9

A person who is awkward and often drops things when they carry them

describes awkward movement generally instead of specific difficulty carrying items

reeler

vsclumsy person

1 9.9

A person who walks unsteadily as if about to fall

refers to poor coordination in movement rather than weakness or illness

shuffler

vsclumsy person

1 5.7

A person who walks slowly while dragging their feet

is about poor balance and coordination rather than a specific dragging gait

hobbledehoy

vsclumsy person

Offensive

1 9.9

A tall, awkward teenage boy who moves and acts clumsily

is gender-neutral and age-neutral, describing anyone with poor coordination

gropple

vsclumsy person

Informal

9.9

A clumsy person who often drops or breaks things

does not imply causing accidents, only shows lack of physical control

looby

vsclumsy person

Offensive

9.9

A clumsy person who often makes silly mistakes

is the neutral modern term used without old-fashioned connotation

classic butterfinger

vsclumsy person

Offensive

8.5

A person who often drops things because they are clumsy

covers general awkward movement beyond merely dropping or losing objects

stumbler

vsclumsy person

6.7

A person who often trips or almost falls while walking

describes general awkward movement rather than only episodic tripping

totterer

vsclumsy person

9.9

A person who walks unsteadily as if about to fall

is about general lack of coordination rather than simply unsteady balance

foot-wobbler

vsclumsy person

Informal

9.9

A person who walks unsteadily and often stumbles

covers plain lack of physical coordination in any situation, not just specific cases

staggerer

vsclumsy person

8.2

A person who walks unsteadily and looks about to fall

describes awkward coordination without implying health problems or intoxication

hobbler

vsclumsy person

8.9

A person who walks with a limp and an unsteady step

refers to lack of coordination not caused by a limp or ongoing pain

dodderer

vsclumsy person

9.7

An old person who walks slowly and unsteadily because they are weak

describes awkward movement from poor coordination, not from age or frailty

How Clumsy

klutz

Offensive

22 8.2

clumsy person

1 3.4

bungler

1 7.8

Surface Forms

clumsy person singular

clumsy people plural

Morphology

clumsy + person

This is a straightforward adjective + noun combination where the meaning ('a person who is clumsy') is directly and transparently derived from 'clumsy' (awkward in movement) + 'person' (human individual). The compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows standard English adjective-noun semantics, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily understand the expression.

Etymology

Clumsy person The word clumsy may come from old words like clump, meaning a heavy lump of earth. Imagine someone moving like a heavy lump, stumbling and bumping into things; that image explains why it now means 'a person who moves awkwardly'.