# ungainly

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ʌnˈɡeɪnli/ · frequency rank #58,434

## Definitions
1. Clumsy; lacking grace.
2. Difficult to move or to manage; unwieldy.
3. Unsuitable; unprofitable.

## Etymology
From un- (“not”) + gainly (“graceful; becoming; proper, suitable; gracious, kindly”) (from gain (“dexterous; convenient, easy, handy; suitable”), from Old Norse gegn (“fit, serviceable; direct, straight; honest; kindly”) + -ly (suffix forming adjectives from nouns)). Compare dialectal Norwegian Nynorsk ugjegnleg (“stubborn; troublesome”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ungainly