clumsily
/ˈklʌmzɪli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈklʌmzɪli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkləm-zə-lē/ (ame, mw)
clumsily — adverb
1. while moving the body or hands without smooth control, often dropping things, bu
while moving the body or hands without smooth control, often dropping things, bumping into objects, or stumbling
Eli tripped clumsily over the cat and spilled his coffee onto the rug.
verb of motion + clumsily + result clause
Half asleep, Aylin clumsily knocked her water glass off the bedside table.
common pattern: clumsily + transitive verb
The toddler clumsily climbed onto the kitchen chair, gripping the edge with both hands.
Mauricio held the puppy clumsily, almost letting it slip out of his arms.
Nia danced clumsily at the wedding, stepping on her cousin's shoes twice.
- gracefully
moving with smooth, attractive control
- deftly
with neat, skilful hand movements
文法句型
modifies verbs of motion or physical action
用法筆記
Subject is usually a person; the verb is almost always a physical action (trip, drop, knock, hold, climb). Distinguish from sense 2, which is about skill or judgement, not bodily coordination.
常見錯誤
2. when handling a task or social situation with little skill, care, or tact, somet
when handling a task or social situation with little skill, care, or tact, sometimes upsetting other people
The new manager clumsily handled the complaint and left the customer angrier than before.
common pattern: clumsily + handle/deal with
Esme tried to apologise but worded her message clumsily, making her friend feel worse.
subject + verb + object + clumsily for tactless communication
The opening scene was written so clumsily that the audience laughed at the wrong moments.
Tuan clumsily brought up the topic of money during dinner with his future in-laws.
The film deals with grief clumsily, mixing serious moments with jokes that fall flat.
- tactlessly
specifically about words that upset others; narrower than sense 2
- awkwardly
overlaps with this sense when describing social handling
- ineptly
more formal; stronger sense of being unfit for the task
文法句型
modifies verbs of speaking, writing, or handling situations
用法筆記
Often used with verbs of communication or problem-solving (handle, deal with, word, write, bring up). Distinguish from sense 1: here the failure is in skill, tact, or judgement, not in physical coordination.