klutz

noun

ˈkləts 

: a clumsy person

klutziness

ˈklət-sē-nəs 

noun

klutzy

ˈklət-sē 

adjective

Synonyms

• butterfingers
• dub
• looby
• lubber
• lummox

Examples of klutz in a Sentence

I'm a complete klutz on the dance floor.

how can she be such a klutz after studying ballet for so many years?

Recent Examples on the Web

While one side of the frame shows Pia racing to meet her mother at the bank, conveying her struggle as a hapless klutz, the other half displays a henna ceremony interstitial, elegantly establishing the beauty of tradition and community. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 6 Mar. 2025

Playing Dawn Summers, Trachtenberg joined the show in 2000, as Buffy's younger sister, who was at times bratty, sulky, and a bit of a klutz — but nonetheless offered a new and exciting sibling dynamic for the show to explore. —Shania Russell, EW.com, 26 Feb. 2025

Join for hilarious segments like kids on the naughty list, Christmas klutzes, and those hilariously fed up with the festivities. —Rebecca Angel Baer, Southern Living, 27 Nov. 2024

On-the-go photographers, field workers, and hopeless klutzes will want to give this tough drive a strong second look. —John Burek, PCMAG, 10 July 2024

In the beginning, Black’s Po was a klutz who trained himself to earn the title of Dragon Warrior, a name given to his region’s greatest martial artist. —Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024

And yet, this political klutz is paving the way for Schiff to win the seat vacated by legendary Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death last year. —Jim Newton, The Mercury News, 15 Feb. 2024

Someone who had a tendency to fall might win the award for biggest klutz. —Don Norcross, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Oct. 2023

The other guy’s a klutz. —Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 30 May 2012

Word History

Etymology

Yiddish klots, literally, wooden beam, from Middle High German kloz lumpy mass — more at clout

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for klutz

• buts
• butts
• cuts
• guts
• huts
• juts
• lutz
• nuts
• putts
• ruts
• shuts
• struts

Kids Definition

klutz

noun

ˈkləts 

: a clumsy person

klutziness

ˈklət-sē-nəs 

noun

klutzy

ˈklət-sē 

adjective