Cloddishly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner showing lack of skill or intelligence, seeming awkward or inept
2. Done in a way that is crude, stupid, or lacking grace or refinement
3. Performed or behaving with awkwardness or dull-wittedness, lacking subtlety or tact

Etymology: "Cloddishly" is simply "cloddish" with the adverb ending "-ly" added. The adjective "cloddish" is built from "clodd", a term for a lump of earth or clay, with the suffix "-ish", meaning "having the qualities of." A cloddish person was thus, quite literally, one who behaved like a lump of soil: heavy, shapeless, and unrefined. The adverb therefore describes an action carried out in that clumsy, earthbound manner, with none of the polish one might expect. The sense moved from a physical clod of earth to a figure of dullness and awkwardness, which is the meaning the word carries today.

Synonyms: awkwardly, ungainly

Antonyms: gracefully, elegantly