1
as in clumsy
lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands
a graceless person who was a butterfingered lout when it came to playing basketball
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
was a graceless preteen but evolved into a confident teenager
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inappropriate
not appropriate for a particular occasion or situation
one guest made a graceless comment about the bride's bleached hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in awkward
having or showing an inability to move in a graceful manner
her graceless dancing was painful to watch
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in improper
showing poor judgment especially in personal relationships or social situations
indifferent to the nuances of constructive criticism, she sometimes says things which are hurtful or graceless
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of graceless
Still, Trump should want her endorsement and should be trying to woo her — and those voters — instead of engaging in his typically graceless behavior.
—
The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Ruscha’s photographs—deliberately graceless taxonomies of parking lots, swimming pools, palm trees, and the like—seem thin by comparison, lacking the paintings’ dialectic of innocence and wit.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for graceless 
The Editors, National Review, 6 Mar. 2024
In a neighborhood filled with exceptional civic architecture, the building looked all the more graceless beside Arthur Erickson’s monumental Canadian Embassy and across the street from John Russell Pope’s magisterial National Gallery of Art and I.M. Pei’s East Building.
—Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 17 Nov. 2023
The other band members were gracious and discreet, but enough was said to leave the impression of a faintly aristocratic Reed who was graceless and intransigent.
—Ian Penman, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
Ruscha’s photographs—deliberately graceless taxonomies of parking lots, swimming pools, palm trees, and the like—seem thin by comparison, lacking the paintings’ dialectic of innocence and wit.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 2 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for graceless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for graceless
Adjective
-
Amazon’s best-selling soup bowls are made with triple-layered glass that even the clumsiest folks may find hard to break.—
Ashley Zlatopolsky,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Okay too many clumsy Star Wars references there, but one thing the report also correctly notes is that this would be a rare development where Star Wars recruits a top A-list actor to star in a film.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Normal Sensations With Urination UTIs cause inflammation of the urinary tract, leading to uncomfortable symptoms when urinating.—
Mark Gurarie,
Verywell Health,
24 Jan. 2025
-
After rushing for a 44-yard touchdown on the opening drive of Philly’s divisional round win over the Los Angeles Rams, Hurts suffered a knee injury in the second half and looked uncomfortable for the remainder of the game.—
Ben Morse,
CNN,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In stark contrast, Lauren Sanchez's choice of a white suit with a visible lace corset was inappropriate for the occasion, earning a notably low score in dress and presence.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
21 Jan. 2025
-
Bad reviews, inappropriate comments and shabby online engagements have the opposite effect and can potentially leave a permanent mark against the company name.—
Dmitry Malin,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Listen to Marsden recall the awkward encounter in the clip above.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
24 Jan. 2025
-
In his defense, the Anti-Defamation League tweeted from X that Musk’s gesture seemed to be an awkward expression of enthusiasm.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Lawyers for Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, will set out to show that the News Group executives concealed and sought to destroy evidence of hacking and other improper practices.—
Mark Landler,
New York Times,
18 Jan. 2025
-
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International, over 65,000 home fires are the result of improper heating equipment usage in the United States.—
Graeme Taskerud,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Add Vargas to the long list of Americans who have been uneasy about TikTok’s future.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
-
For all of their uneasy gazing and silent discernment, artful visages are a key element in the decor.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The following year, regulators ruled that the company is unsuitable to operate its casinos in Sydney and Queensland, placing them under government supervision.—
Yessar Rosendar,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
-
That's because Blue Origin aims to recover the first stage of the New Glenn rocket, and sea states in the Atlantic Ocean have been unsuitable for an initial attempt to catch the first stage booster on a drone ship.—
Eric Berger,
Ars Technica,
11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Her absence, combined with an unsteady early performance and the unprecedented attack from her fire chief, have only intensified her vulnerabilities.—
Julia Wick,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
-
Retailers have been forced to work harder to win customer dollars, and demand has been unsteady as consumers think twice before buying things that may be wants rather than needs.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
19 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near graceless
Cite this Entry
“Graceless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/graceless. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share