unwieldy

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English

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Alternative forms

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  • unwieldly (less common, possibly nonstandard)

Etymology

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From Middle English unweldi, equivalent to un- +‎ wieldy. Cognate with Middle Low German unweldich (unwieldy).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˌʌnˈwɪəl.di/
  • Audio (US):(file)

Adjective

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unwieldy (comparative more unwieldy or (archaic) unwieldier, superlative most unwieldy or (archaic) unwieldiest)

  1. (obsolete) Lacking strength; weak.
  2. (obsolete) Ungraceful in movement.
  3. Difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate because of its size, weight, shape or complexity.
    Synonyms: unmanageable, (archaic) unwieldsome
    Antonym: wieldy
    • 1985, Patrick Moore, Stargazing: Astronomy without a telescope, Aurum Press, →ISBN, page 18:
      However, the constellation of Argo Navis was so huge and unwieldy that in the 1932 revision, the International Astronomical Union committee chopped it up into a keel (Carina), a poop (Puppis) and sails (Vela).
    • 2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 175:
      The railways that would be fused to create the unwieldy Northern Line were the City & South London and the Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway, known as the 'Hampstead Tube'.
    • 2017 February 9, Rob Long, “Why I won’t invest in anything that involves effort”, in The National (UAE)[1]:
      Recorded music came in unwieldy packages and odd shapes.
  4. Badly managed or operated.
    (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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