I. |ən|gānlē, -li adjective
( sometimes -er/-est )
1.
a. : lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy
a very tall ungainly gentleman … made her one of the clumsiest bows that was ever performed — W.M.Thackeray
ungainly and eloquent, monstrous and exquisite … by turns — Virginia Woolf
b. : hard to handle : unwieldly
the cello, some thought … was rather an ungainly instrument for a girl — Osbert Lancaster
2. : lacking in grace or refinement : coarse , ugly
an ungainly grey homespun coat — Robert Lynd
ungainly frame houses with scrollwork — American Guide Series: California
Synonyms: see awkward
II. adverb
archaic : in an ungainly manner
waddles ungainly by — Westminster Gazette