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ungracefulness

ungracefulness

6.5
A clumsy, awkward way of moving or looking
  • noun
  • /ʌnˈɡreɪs.fəl.nəs/
: torpeza
  • Her ungracefulness was evident on the dance floor, where her movements appeared stiff and awkward.

Examples

  • He was embarrassed by his ungracefulness when he tripped during the formal event.

  • The child's ungracefulness when learning to walk made everyone smile at his adorable clumsiness.

  • The sculpture captured a deliberate ungracefulness that reflected the artist's unique style.

  • Her ungracefulness on the dance floor was hard to ignore.

  • He showed great ungracefulness while trying to perform the routine.

  • He was embarrassed by his ungracefulness, which became clear when he tripped at the formal event.

  • Her ungracefulness was obvious as she struggled to keep up with the rhythm of the dance.

Synonyms

ungainly
vsungracefulness
7 7.3

Moving or looking awkward and clumsy

is the broader lack of grace rather than emphasis on handling difficulty
clumsiness
vsungracefulness
3 3.3

Lack of smooth, graceful movement or behavior that looks awkward

is broader covering appearance and expression as well as movement
awkwardness
vsungracefulness
2 3.6

Lack of skill or grace when moving, often causing trips

is a general lack of grace including appearance and expression
stiffness
vsungracefulness
1 4.9

An awkward way of moving or speaking that shows nervousness

is general lack of grace without implying tension or discomfort
gracelessness
vsungracefulness
1 7.1

A lack of smooth, polite movement or social behavior

is a neutral lack of grace focusing on movement appearance and expression
gaucherie
vsungracefulness
1 9.9

Awkward or rude behavior in social situations that makes people feel uncomfortable

is broader applying to physical movement appearance and expression too
oafishness
vsungracefulness
1 8.3

Clumsy, awkward actions that make other people feel uncomfortable

is the neutral absence of grace without the rough or rude sense
inelegance
vsungracefulness
1 7.1

A lack of grace, good taste, or neatness

is the lack of physical grace and awkward movement rather than poor taste
gawkiness
vsungracefulness
1 7.4

Clumsy movement or posture that looks uncomfortable

is more general applying beyond posture to look and expression

Antonyms

147 2.6

A smooth, attractive way of moving or behaving

48 3.5

A graceful, stylish way of looking or behaving that shows good taste

How Graceful

elegance
48 3.5
grace
147 2.6
ungracefulness
6.5
awkwardness
24 4.5
clumsiness
3 3.3

Surface Forms

Morphology

ungracefulness = ungraceful (transparent) = un + grace + ful + ness

The noun is transparently formed from the adjective 'ungraceful' by adding '-ness', and the adjective itself is transparently built from 'grace' with 'un-' and '-ful'.

Etymology

Ungracefulness is built from the prefix un- meaning 'not' and grace meaning 'smooth, pleasing movement', the same root you see in graceful. So, ungracefulness literally means 'not graceful', which is why it describes awkward or clumsy behaviour.