Gawkyness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality of being awkward or clumsy in movement
2. a state characterized by an uncomfortable or socially inept demeanor
3. a condition marked by a lack of grace or coordination in physical tasks

Etymology: "Gawk" descends from the Old Norse "gaukr," meaning cuckoo, which reached northern English and Scots as "gowk." In those dialects the bird was also a term for a foolish or simple person, and the insult shifted into the sense of staring vacantly, the origin of the verb "gawk." The adjective "gawky" grew from that vacant, foolish look into a description of someone who is ungainly, loose-limbed, and clumsy in movement. The ending comes from the native English suffix "-ness," from Old English "-nes," which turns an adjective into a noun for a state or quality. The spelling "gawkyness" follows the same pattern, though "gawkiness" is the more common form.

Synonyms: awkwardness, clumsiness, ungainliness, inelegance, bumpiness

Antonyms: gracefulness, elegance, poise, smoothness, dexterity