Ungainly – Move awkwardly, clumsy
(Pronounced un-gayn-lee)
To remember the definition of the word ungainly, use the following mnemonic:
Until he could gain his liberty (ungainly), the prisoner moved awkwardly and clumsily due to the heavy ball chained to his leg.
Examples of ungainly in a sentence
She wanted to be a professional ballet dancer but an ungainly performance at her audition meant she never got the chance.
Penguins move like athletes throughout the water but are ungainly on land.
Her ungainly progress down the street was due to the vast amount of prosecco she'd just consumed.