awkwardly

awkwardly — adverb

1. showing that a person feels shy, uneasy, or embarrassed in front of other people

1.adverbC1
Definition

showing that a person feels shy, uneasy, or embarrassed in front of other people.

Example

Wen laughed awkwardly when her teacher praised her old song.

laugh awkwardly after personal praise

At the dinner table, Ben answered awkwardly after his uncle mentioned money.

answer awkwardly after sensitive topic

Common collocations
  • laugh awkwardly
  • smile awkwardly
  • answer awkwardly
  • stand awkwardly
  • pause awkwardly
Synonyms
  • self-consciously

    stresses awareness of being watched or judged

  • uneasily

    broader and can describe inner discomfort without embarrassment

  • shyly

    softer and less strongly embarrassing

  • nervously

    focuses more on worry than on social discomfort

Antonyms
  • confidently

    shows ease and assurance in front of others

  • naturally

    suggests relaxed behaviour without self-consciousness

Grammar Patterns

laugh awkwardly

answer awkwardly after + topic

stand awkwardly beside + person or thing

Usage Note

Often used with small social actions such as laugh, smile, pause, answer, or stand. Distinguish from sense 2, where the situation itself feels uncomfortable or badly timed, not just one person's behaviour.

Common Mistakes

I felt awkwardly at the party.
I felt awkward at the party.
after linking verbs such as feel, use the adjective awkward, not the adverb awkwardly.

2. making a situation feel uneasy, badly timed, or difficult for the people involve

2.adverbC1
Definition

making a situation feel uneasy, badly timed, or difficult for the people involved.

Example

The joke landed awkwardly at the awards dinner for new staff.

land awkwardly for an embarrassing effect

The news was awkwardly timed, arriving just before Mia's wedding dinner.

be awkwardly timed

Common collocations
  • land awkwardly
  • be awkwardly timed
  • hang awkwardly over
  • sit awkwardly with
Synonyms
  • uncomfortably

    close in meaning, but broader and less tied to embarrassment or timing

  • badly

    plainer and less specific about social tension

  • inopportunely

    formal and mainly stresses bad timing

  • tensely

    focuses on emotional strain rather than mismatch or poor timing

Antonyms
  • smoothly

    suggests that an event or exchange happens without strain

  • neatly

    can suggest that something fits or works well in context

Grammar Patterns

be awkwardly timed

end awkwardly

sit awkwardly with + noun

Usage Note

Common with timing, remarks, meetings, and arrangements. Distinguish from sense 1 FEELING EMBARRASSED, which describes how a person behaves, and from sense 4 HARD TO HANDLE, which is about physical use or placement.

3. with movements that seem stiff, clumsy, or lacking easy control.

3.adverbC1
Definition

with movements that seem stiff, clumsy, or lacking easy control.

Example

After the fall, Omar walked awkwardly across the wet playground.

walk awkwardly after injury

The puppy climbed awkwardly onto the sofa and slid back down.

Common collocations
  • walk awkwardly
  • climb awkwardly
  • bow awkwardly
  • dance awkwardly
  • land awkwardly
Synonyms
  • clumsily

    the closest everyday alternative for poor physical control

  • stiffly

    focuses more on rigid movement and lack of flexibility

  • ungracefully

    stresses lack of smooth or attractive movement

Antonyms
  • gracefully

    shows smooth, controlled movement

  • smoothly

    focuses on ease and lack of visible difficulty

Grammar Patterns

walk awkwardly

climb awkwardly onto + place

dance awkwardly in + clothes or shoes

Usage Note

Usually describes body movement, especially when someone is hurt, inexperienced, tired, or wearing the wrong clothes or shoes. Distinguish from sense 4 HARD TO HANDLE, where the difficulty comes from an object's shape or position.

Common Mistakes

The baby walked awkward after the fall.
The baby walked awkwardly after the fall.
use the adverb awkwardly to describe the way someone moves.

4. so that something is inconvenient to use, carry, place, or manage.

4.adverbC1
Definition

so that something is inconvenient to use, carry, place, or manage.

Example

The suitcase sat awkwardly on the narrow shelf above our seats.

sit awkwardly on + surface

This large pan fits awkwardly in our small kitchen sink.

fit awkwardly in + place

Common collocations
  • sit awkwardly
  • fit awkwardly
  • run awkwardly across
  • hold awkwardly under
Synonyms
  • inconveniently

    broader and often less physical

  • uncomfortably

    often used when a position or arrangement feels physically uneasy

  • badly

    very general and less specific about shape or placement

Antonyms
  • conveniently

    suggests something is easy to place, use, or reach

  • easily

    focuses on lack of effort or difficulty

Grammar Patterns

fit awkwardly in + place

sit awkwardly on + surface

hold awkwardly under + body part

Usage Note

Usually used when shape, size, weight, or position causes trouble. Subject is often an object, not a person. Distinguish from sense 3 STIFF MOVEMENT, which is about how a body moves.

Common Mistakes

The chair was awkwardly to carry upstairs.
The chair was awkward to carry upstairs.
after be + adjective + infinitive, use awkward, not awkwardly.

5. so as to slow things down or avoid giving help on purpose.

5.adverbC1
Definition

so as to slow things down or avoid giving help on purpose.

Example

The clerk awkwardly kept the only pen in his pocket and watched us wait.

awkwardly showing deliberate obstruction

The landlord awkwardly kept asking for one more form before handing over the keys.

Common collocations
  • be awkwardly difficult
  • stand awkwardly
  • answer awkwardly
  • change the rules awkwardly
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • helpfully

    shows willingness to make things easier

  • cooperatively

    stresses working with others instead of blocking them

Grammar Patterns

act awkwardly on purpose

stand awkwardly refusing to + verb

answer awkwardly to delay things

Usage Note

Mainly British. The context usually has to show a choice to be obstructive or uncooperative; otherwise learners may mean sense 1 FEELING EMBARRASSED or sense 4 HARD TO HANDLE instead.

Word family

  • awkward
    adjectiveB2
  • awkwardness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/3

In sense 3, 'awkwardly' is a broad word for movement that looks uncomfortable or hard to control. 'Clumsily' is the closest everyday synonym and often suggests bumping into things, dropping them, or handling them badly. 'Stiffly' is narrower and points to a body that cannot bend or relax easily, often because of pain, fear, or formality. 'Ungracefully' pays more attention to how a movement looks, especially when it lacks beauty or smooth style. 'Uneasily' can overlap a little, but it usually points to inner discomfort rather than poor physical control. A child may climb awkwardly onto a chair, a patient may walk stiffly, and a new dancer may bow ungracefully on stage.

awkwardly ↗clumsilystifflyungracefullyuneasily

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishModern English

The adverb 'awkwardly' comes from the adjective 'awkward' plus the common adverb ending '-ly'. The older adjective appeared in late Middle English as a form meaning 'turned the wrong way round'. That idea goes back to an Old Norse word for something reversed or facing the wrong direction. From that physical image, English later developed the modern meanings of social unease, clumsy movement, and things that are hard to handle.