Awkwards

Part of speech: adjective, adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈɔːkwədz/

Definitions

1. Lacking grace or ease in movement or manner; causing discomfort by being ill-timed or embarrassing; characterized by clumsiness or difficulty in social interactions
2. Exhibiting a lack of smoothness or coordination in actions; generating uneasy feelings due to improper conduct or situations; manifesting social ineptitude or discomfort
3. Showing clumsy or ungraceful behavior; provoking awkwardness by inappropriate or inopportune occurrences; indicating a struggle with social grace or communication skills

Etymology: "Awkwards" is a form of "awkward" with an added "-s", a combination that is unusual enough to be worth explaining. The "-s" ending is normally found on adverbs and prepositions such as "towards" and "forwards", and "awkwards" appears to have been formed by analogy with those words. Instead of the expected plain adjective, the word takes on the adverbial ending, so that it can be used in a sense close to "in an awkward way." Because "awkward" itself is the base, the "-s" is the only addition, and it does not change the basic meaning of the word. The result is a slightly archaic or dialectal flavour, with the adjective and adverb senses both carried by the same form.

Synonyms: clumsy, ungraceful, inept, maladroit, gawky

Antonyms: graceful, elegant, skillful, adept, nimble