awkwardest
|awk-ward-est|
🇺🇸
/ˈɔːkwɚdɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˈɔːkwədɪst/
(awkward)
clumsy or uncomfortable
Etymology
'awkward' originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'afugr' (meaning 'turned the wrong way' or 'backwards'), which contributed the element 'awk-' used to suggest perverseness or being turned away from the normal direction.
The element 'afugr' entered Middle English as a word like 'awk' meaning 'perverse' or 'backhanded.' The adjectival suffix '-ward' or the development into forms like 'awkward' produced the modern English word 'awkward' by Middle/Early Modern English; the superlative 'awkwardest' is formed regularly from that adjective.
Initially it meant something like 'turned the wrong way' or 'perverse/unfavorable,' but over time it evolved to mean 'clumsy, difficult to handle,' and 'causing embarrassment' in its current senses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
superlative form of 'awkward': most difficult to use, handle, or manage; the least convenient or practical.
This old faucet is the awkwardest thing to fix in the house.
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Adjective 2
superlative form of 'awkward': most causing embarrassment or social discomfort; the most awkward in social situations.
That was the awkwardest moment at the party when nobody knew what to say.
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Last updated: 2025/12/05 00:53