# unwieldy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˌʌnˈwɪəl.di/ · frequency rank #36,805

## Definitions
1. Lacking strength; weak.
2. Ungraceful in movement.
3. Difficult to carry, handle, manage or operate because of its size, weight, shape or complexity.
4. Badly managed or operated.

## Etymology
From Middle English unweldy, equivalent to un- + wieldy. Cognate with Old Frisian unweldich, unweldech (“having no power, involuntary”), Middle Dutch onweldich (“having no control or mastery over”), Middle Low German unweldich (“unwieldy”). Compare also Old High German unwaltīg (“powerless”), whence Middle High German unwaltic, German ungewaltig (“powerless, unmighty”).

## Common misspellings (12)
`nuwieldy`, `uniweldy`, `unnwieldy`, `unweildy`, `unwiedly`, `unwielddy`, `unwieldyy`, `unwielldy`, `unwielyd`, `unwiledy`, `unwwieldy`, `uwnieldy`

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