(形容词)笨拙的;不优雅的;动作不协调的(也可形容外形或结构显得别扭、不匀称)。另有较少见用法可指“难以驾驭/不便使用的”。
/ʌnˈɡeɪnli/
The puppy was ungainly and kept tripping over its paws.
那只小狗很笨拙,总是被自己的爪子绊倒。
He moved in an ungainly way across the crowded room, careful not to knock anything over.
他在拥挤的房间里动作笨拙地穿行,小心翼翼不把任何东西碰倒。
由否定前缀 un-(不、非)+ gainly(古义为“灵巧的、得体的”)构成。gainly 与古英语/中古英语中表示“适合、方便、可取”的词根相关,后来 gainly 较少使用,而 ungainly 作为“缺乏得体与灵巧”的意思保留下来并更常见。