ungainly

Modifies a noun

• appearance: Despite its ungainly appearance it also has a fair turn of speed.
• fashion: You don't just lurch around the rink in an ungainly fashion any more.
• way: By 1.30 we were all making our ungainly way through the canals and crawls of the entrance passage.
• heap: Symonds staggered back and fell in an ungainly, unconscious heap on the floor.
• manner: Can she not see that my hair has flattened against head in ungainly manner?
• monster: Such a merger would produce an ungainly monster in which our standards would be seriously diluted.

Modifying Another Word

• somewhat: The design was sound if somewhat ungainly due to its flat sides.
• rather: These grand specimens had to endure a rather ungainly journey here on the back of an enormous, articulated lorry.
• so: He was so ungainly, so pimply about the head, so scaly about the legs, yet so serene, so unspeakably satisfied!
• slightly: With his slightly ungainly style, it was great to see him in full flight, top-knot billowing in the wind.
• little: For a man whose gait is a little ungainly, he has always possessed such delicacy of touch, such deft balance.
• quite: The speed of their attack is quite unexpected because they actually appear quite ungainly.

Used with adjective complement

• look: Unfortunately they appeared to be under-rehearsed and it looked pretty ungainly at times.