awkward

英 ['ɔːkwəd]美 ['ɔkwɚd]
  • adj. 尴尬的；笨拙的；棘手的；不合适的
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助记提示

【记】音：坳口，读起来很坳口，就是笨拙不好说；
2. 谐音“拗口的”
3. awkward-awk(拗口)+ ward(word)----拗口的词- 说起来很笨拙

中文词源

awkward 笨拙的

awk-,错误方向，-ward,朝向。引申词义笨拙的。

英文词源

awkward
awkward: [14] When awkward was coined, in Scotland and northern England, it meant ‘turned in the wrong direction’. Middle English had an adjective awk, which meant ‘the wrong way round, backhanded’, and hence ‘perverse’, and with the addition of the suffix -ward this became awkward. Awk itself was adopted from Old Norse afugr, which is related to German ab ‘away’ and English off. Awkward followed a similar semantic path to awk, via ‘perverse, illadapted’ to ‘clumsy’.
=> off
awkward (adj.)
mid-14c., "in the wrong direction," from awk "back-handed" + adverbial suffix -weard (see -ward). Meaning "clumsy" first recorded 1520s. Related: Awkwardly. Other formations from awk, none of them surviving, were awky, awkly, awkness.

双语例句

1. Unfortunately, Grandma always seems to awaken at awkward moments.
不幸的是，奶奶好像总是醒来的不是时候。
来自柯林斯例句
2. Alexandra looked plump and awkward in her cast-off clothing.
亚历山德拉穿着那身过时的衣裳，显得臃肿笨拙。
来自柯林斯例句
3. I'm always being told off for being so awkward.
我笨手笨脚的，总挨训。
来自柯林斯例句
4. She's got to an age where she is being awkward.
她到了难相处的年龄。
来自柯林斯例句
5. It was small but heavy enough to make it awkward to carry.
它虽然小，但很重，不便携带。
来自柯林斯例句