gawkier; gawkiest
: awkward, clumsy
a gawky adolescent
gawkily adverb
gawkiness noun
gawky noun

Examples of gawky in a Sentence

the stiff, gawky gait of a newborn colt
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
A far cry from the gawky and boyish Norman Bates, B.Z. is a floppy-haired, closeted Hollywood player slowly dissolving in his own nihilism. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025 As Andy Kaufman, Nicholas Braun has just the right gawky awkwardness, and his brief, odd, mostly silent appearances in the first half of the film delightfully pay off near the climax. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024 All the money her father had left them was put toward his daughters’ private education, but she was ostracized by wealthy classmates who bullied her for being too poor, too gawky and too dark-skinned. Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025 Carmello, a three-time Tony nominee, delivers an exquisite performance, equal parts gawky and wise, a tender-hearted girl feeling every slight but also always slightly above the fray. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for gawky

Word History

Etymology

gawk entry 1 + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1759, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gawky was in 1759

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gawky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gawky. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

gawky

adjective
gawkier; gawkiest
gawkily adverb
gawkiness
-kē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on gawky

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