Rebecca Traister

All the epic allusions contribute to the difficulty Clinton has long had in coming across as, simply, a human being. She is uneasy with the press and ungainly on the stump. Catching a glimpse of the 'real' her often entails spying something out of the corner of your eye, in a moment when she's not trying to be, or to sell, 'Hillary Clinton.

American Author

Elton John

When Little Richard used to stand up and play it was just fabulous, and Liberace had the candlesticks and the rings and the gift of the gab. The piano's is the most ungainly rock' n' roll instrument of all time but those two people transcended it, as did Jerry Lee Lewis.

English Musician

Barkha Dutt

It's never said out aloud, or in so many words, but for many urban, upper caste Indians, 'the backwards' are precisely that - citizens of the hinterland, ungainly and otherworldly - an inconvenient blemish on their shining, gleaming future.

Indian Journalist

Simon Schama

The British who arrived in the United States in the eighteen-thirties and forties had imagined the young republic as a wide-eyed adolescent, socially ungainly and politically gauche, but with some hint of promise.

British Historian

Cyd Charisse

Unless you have the right legs, these mini-skirts are ungainly and uncomfortable. They're just a fad.

American Actress

Ellie Taylor

English Comedian

Use 'ungainly' to describe awkward actions or movements of living beings, often due to inexperience.

Physical Awkwardness

'Ungainly' is descriptive, not offensive; used for factual, not negative character judgment.

Not Insulting

Describing someone as 'ungainly' can imply the potential for improvement over time.

Temporary Trait

Use 'ungainly' for objects that lack elegance or visual harmony, often due to design.

Visual Appeal

When used to describe items, 'ungainly' may imply strong disapproval of aesthetic choices.

Harsh Critique

'Ungainly' suggests practical difficulties in handling objects, often due to size or shape.

Practical Challenges

An object's 'ungainly' nature can be temporary, changing with context or through modification.

Temporary State

Ungainly items impede efficiency, making tasks more time-consuming or physically demanding.

Impacts Efficiency

 Up here on land, they're impossibly ungainly and out of place. But for these female elephant seals there's still one part of their life