Gawliness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or state of being awkward, clumsy, or lacking social grace in movement or behavior
2. A characteristic describing physical or social ineptitude, marked by ungainly gestures or awkward mannerisms
3. An expression of ungainliness, signifying awkwardness and inelegance in actions or demeanor

Etymology: Gawliness is a noun formed from the adjective "gawly" and the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality or state. "Gawly" is a dialect or informal adjective, and its base sense of awkward, clumsy movement is what the suffix carries into the noun. The word is far less common than its sibling "gawkiness," which is far better attested in standard dictionaries. The adjective behind "gawly" is itself the least documented part of this family. What can be said is that "gawly" sits close in sound and sense to "gawk" and "gawky," which describe someone standing or moving in a stiff, staring, ungraceful way. Readers who meet "gawliness" will likely hear that association, and the noun's meaning of ungainly awkwardness fits neatly within it.

Synonyms: awkwardness, clumsiness, ungainliness, inelegance, maladroitness

Antonyms: grace, elegance, poise, smoothness