French word

maladroit

Pronunciation

IPA/maladʁwa/

Meaning

  • adjectiveclumsy

Example

Il est maladroit avec ses mains.

He is clumsy with his hands.

Illustration for maladroit (clumsy)

More examples

Il est maladroit avec les mots.

He is clumsy with words.

Core concept

A hand or social move that misses its mark and looks clumsy.

Common phrases

  • être maladroit

    be clumsy

  • maladroit avec les mains

    be clumsy with one's hands

  • maladroit avec les mots

    be clumsy with words

  • geste maladroit

    clumsy gesture

Similar words

gauche: Awkward in movement or manner, often seeming out of place.
malhabile: Unskilled at fine tasks or manual work.
empoté: Lumbering and slow, with a tendency to mishandle things.

Definition in French

Qui manque d'habileté manuelle ou sociale, produisant des mouvements maladroits ou des attitudes gênantes.

Word origin

The word combines the negative prefix mal- with adroit, an old form built from à droit and associated with being skillful.

Usage tips

  • As an adjective, maladroit becomes maladroite with a feminine noun, and the final consonant is pronounced in the feminine form.

Other meanings

  • awkwardadjective
  • bunglernoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word