awkward

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Making you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.

   That was an awkward moment; everyone went quiet.

2. 2
   adj

   Uncomfortable with social situations; not relaxed around others.

   I'm very awkward at parties and never know what to say.

3. 3
   adj

   Difficult to use, handle, or deal with.

   The box was an awkward shape to carry.

4. 4
   adj

   Inconvenient; causing difficulty.

   They arrived at an awkward time, just as we were leaving.

Common collocations

• awkward position Adjective + noun
• awkward predicament Adjective + noun

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *h₂epó Proto-Indo-European *h₃ekʷ- Proto-Indo-European *h₂époh₃kʷos Proto-Germanic *abuhaz Old Norse ǫfugrder. Middle English awke English awk Proto-Indo-European *wert-der. Proto-Germanic *wardaz Old English -weard English -ward English awkward From awk (“odd, clumsy”) + -ward. Compare Middle English aukeward (“in the wrong direction”).

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images