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skill; clumsy; wanting ease, grace, or effectiveness in movement; ungraceful; as, he was awkward at a trick; an awkward boy. And dropped an awkward courtesy. Dryden.

A squad of inapt recruits assembled for special drill.

false display; artificial show. "An affectation of contempt." Macaulay. Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural what is natural. Locke.

See Awkward. [Obs.]

Clumsy in performance or manners; unhandy; not dexterous; awkward. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Awkwardly. [Obs.] Fuller.

Indirect; awkward; insincere; sarcastic; as, a backhanded compliment.

To move in an awkward, clumsy manner; to flounder and stumble. I was never distinguished for address, and have often even blundered in making my bow. Goldsmith. Yet knows not how to find the uncertain place, And blunders on, and staggers every pace. Dryden. To blunder on. (a) To continue blundering. (b) To find or reac…

To do anything awkwardly or unskillfully.

Bungling; awkward. [R.]

An awkward, heavy country fellow; a clown; a country lout. "Bashful country bumpkins." W. Irving.

To act or work in a clumsy, awkward manner.

A clumsy, awkward workman; one who bungles. If to be a dunce or a bungler in any profession be shameful, how much more ignominious and infamous to a scholar to be such! Barrow.

Unskillful; awkward; clumsy; as, a bungling workman. Swift. They make but bungling work. Dryden.

Clumsily; awkwardly.

An awkward or silly boy or young man; any silly person; a dolt. [Colloq.] Some silly, doting, brainless calf. Drayton.

Free from awkwardness; not bungling; adroit; dexterous; as, aclean trick; a clean leap over a fence.

Clumsy; awkward. [Obs.] Rough-hewn, cloutery verses. E. Phillips.

A man of coarse nature and manners; an awkward fellow; an illbred person; a boor. Sir P. Sidney.

Of or resembling a clown, or characteristic of a clown; ungainly; awkward. "Clownish hands." Spenser. "Clownish mimic." Prior. -- Clown"ish*ly, adv.