awkwardness
/ˈɔːkwədnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɔːkwərdnəs/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈȯ-kwərd-nəs/ (ame, mw)
awkwardness — 名詞
1. A feeling of shame or unease that appears in social situations when people find
尷尬
社交場合中不自在的窘迫感
A feeling of shame or unease that appears in social situations when people find it hard to know how to behave or what to say.
Evelyn tried to break the awkwardness by telling a funny story about her own travel mishap.
Evelyn 試圖講一個自己旅行時的糗事來打破尷尬。
break the awkwardness
The awkwardness between them after the argument made the whole car ride feel extremely long.
吵架之後兩人之間的尷尬，讓整趟車程感覺格外漫長。
There was a clear awkwardness in the room when nobody knew how to respond to his news.
當沒有人知道該如何回應他的消息時，房間裡瀰漫著明顯的尷尬。
Wei wanted to leave early simply to avoid the awkwardness of saying goodbye to a crowded table.
Wei 想早點離開，純粹是為了避免在坐滿人的桌前告別的尷尬。
The long silence added to the awkwardness, so Fernando quickly changed the subject.
長時間的沉默讓尷尬更加濃重，於是 Fernando 趕緊換了個話題。
- embarrassment
more personal; focuses on the person's own shame, whereas awkwardness often describes the shared social tension
- discomfort
broader; can refer to physical unease, not only social situations
- unease
more general feeling of anxiety, not necessarily tied to a social setting
- ease
the relaxed comfort that comes when social interaction flows naturally
- smoothness
a social situation that unfolds without awkward pauses
用法筆記
Often used with verbs like 'break', 'avoid', 'add to', and prepositions like 'between' (people) or 'of' (a situation). Frequently found in phrases describing tense social encounters.
常見錯誤
2. The quality of being difficult to handle, carry, or work with because of size, s
不便
因設計不良導致難以使用
The quality of being difficult to handle, carry, or work with because of size, shape, or a poorly planned design.
Vikram complained about the awkwardness of the new app when he tried to upload his project files.
Vikram 抱怨新應用程式在上傳專案檔案時很不方便。
awkwardness of the new app
The awkwardness of carrying the large sofa through the narrow hallway made the move much harder.
搬運大型沙發穿過狹窄走廊的不便，讓搬家過程更加辛苦。
Omar grew frustrated with the awkwardness of the kitchen layout, where the cabinets were set too high.
Omar 對廚房動線的不便感到懊惱，因為櫥櫃裝得太高了。
The awkwardness of the tool's short handle caused blisters on his palm within minutes of use.
那工具手把太短很不順手，他用沒幾分鐘手掌就起了水泡。
- inconvenience
broader; covers any trouble or bother, not just physical handling
- unwieldiness
specifically about size or shape making something hard to hold or move
- cumbersomeness
focuses on weight and bulk making something slow or heavy to manage
- convenience
ease of use or handling that comes from good design
- handiness
the quality of being easy to carry and use
用法筆記
Typically followed by 'of' + a noun phrase describing the object or task. Describes practical difficulty rather than social tension.
常見錯誤
3. A lack of grace or ease in a person's movements or posture, often making them ap
笨拙
動作不自然、不優雅
A lack of grace or ease in a person's movements or posture, often making them appear stiff, uncoordinated, or unattractive.
Amara was embarrassed by the awkwardness of her dance moves during her very first salsa lesson.
Amara 對自己在第一堂騷莎課上笨拙的舞步感到很不好意思。
awkwardness of her dance moves
The teenager's awkwardness showed in the way he kept bumping into desks and dropping his books.
那名青少年的笨拙表現在他不停地撞到書桌、把書本掉在地上。
Mandla watched the video of his presentation and winced at the awkwardness of his hand gestures.
Mandla 看了自己上台報告的影片，對自己笨拙的手勢感到尷尬。
Li's long legs only added to the awkwardness of his movements as he learned to balance on the bike.
Li 的長腿讓他在學騎腳踏車保持平衡時，動作更加笨拙。
Zuri could see the awkwardness in her own walk whenever she tried to walk in high-heeled shoes.
Zuri 看得出來自己每次穿高跟鞋走路時，步伐有多笨拙。
- clumsiness
focuses on bumping into things or dropping objects; more about accidents than appearance
- gracelessness
emphasises the lack of elegance or polish in movement
- stiffness
highlights rigidity rather than lack of coordination
用法筆記
Frequently describes a person's physical movements or posture, especially during adolescence or when learning a new physical skill. Also used for the way someone looks in photos or on video.
常見錯誤
4. Behaviour in which someone intentionally makes things difficult for others by re
刁難
故意不配合使人為難
Behaviour in which someone intentionally makes things difficult for others by refusing to cooperate or by creating unnecessary obstacles.
The manager's awkwardness in processing the refund felt like a deliberate way to discourage returns.
經理在處理退款時百般刁難，感覺是故意想讓顧客放棄退貨。
awkwardness in processing the refund
Zuri grew tired of the landlord's awkwardness whenever she asked about repairs to the broken heater.
每次詢問修理壞掉的暖氣時，房東就百般刁難，讓 Zuri 非常厭煩。
Daniel's awkwardness in sharing the project files caused the whole team to miss the deadline.
Daniel 在分享專案檔案時刻意刁難，導致整個團隊錯過了截止日期。
Jack accused his colleague of pure awkwardness after she refused to pass along the client's message.
Jack 指責同事根本是在故意刁難，因為她拒絕轉達客戶的留言。
- obstruction
more general; can refer to physical blockage or legal delay, not necessarily rude behaviour
- uncooperativeness
focuses on refusal to help rather than active creation of difficulty
- difficultness
informal; refers to a person's general tendency to be hard to deal with
- cooperation
willingness to work together and help others
- helpfulness
active support and assistance
用法筆記
This sense carries a strong negative judgment about someone's intentions. It differs from Sense 1 (SOCIAL EMBARRASSMENT) in that the difficulty is actively created by a person, not a shared uncomfortable feeling.