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ungainliness

ungainliness

7.7
Lack of grace in movement or posture that looks clumsy
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈɡeɪnliːnəs/
translation icon : torpeza
  • This does not apply to the A380, a plane whose ungainliness will, I assure you, prove timeless.

Examples

  • The young puppy's ungainliness resulted in clumsy movements as it tried to navigate the garden.

  • "He was physically awkward, and he often made jokes about his own ungainliness," Cornelius says.

    Blog text (20)
  • Long limbs, ungainliness.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Now he looked up to find the county hospital sprawled before him in its wide, modular, red-brick ungainliness, like some nightmarish Lego construction.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Although he was very tall, his ungainliness made it hard for him to dance gracefully at the party.

  • Her ungainliness during the gymnastics routine drew laughter from the audience, but she didn't mind.

Synonyms

clumsiness
vsungainliness
3 3.3

Lack of smooth, graceful movement or behavior that looks awkward

focuses specifically on movement and posture rather than general behavior
stiffness
vsungainliness
1 4.9

An awkward way of moving or speaking that shows nervousness

covers lack of smooth graceful movement and posture not only caused by discomfort
awkwardness
vsungainliness
1 3.6

Lack of skill or grace when moving, often causing trips

focuses on lack of grace in posture rather than general unskilled movement
gawkiness
vsungainliness
7.4

Clumsy movement or posture that looks uncomfortable

is a general term for lack of smooth movement and posture
ungracefulness
vsungainliness
6.5

A clumsy, awkward way of moving or looking

is about lack of smooth graceful movement and specific posture problems
woodenness
vsungainliness
8.2

A stiff, awkward way of speaking or acting that does not feel natural

focuses on lack of smooth movement and posture rather than stiffness in behavior
gracelessness
vsungainliness
7.1

A lack of smooth, polite movement or social behavior

is the neutral idea of lacking smooth movement without extra negative judgment
wooden demeanor
vsungainliness
7.6

A stiff, awkward way of acting without showing emotion

focuses on stiff emotionless manner rather than physical movement or posture
wobbliness
vsungainliness
6.0

A state of being unsteady and shaky so things or sounds seem to move

is instability or shakiness rather than a lack of smooth graceful movement
oafishness
vsungainliness
8.3

Clumsy, awkward actions that make other people feel uncomfortable

is about lack of grace in social behaviour and rough manners rather than only movement

Antonyms

37 5.5

A calm, confident, and steady way of holding yourself

1 3.2

A smooth, attractive way of moving like a dancer or swan

How Graceful

gracefulness
1 3.2
ungainliness
7.7
clumsiness
3 3.3

Surface Forms

ungainliness singular

Morphology

ungainliness = ungainly (transparent) = un + gainly + ness

Forming a noun from the adjective 'ungainly' with the productive suffix '-ness' is a standard and obvious derivation.

Etymology

Ungainliness is made of un- 'not' and gainly, an old word for 'graceful' or 'suitable'. So ungainliness means being 'not graceful', which is why it describes awkward movement or posture.