awkward
part of speech
adjective (awkward, more awkward, most awkward)
meaning for a pupil
1) Awkward means uncomfortable or embarrassing, when you don't know what to say or do. tree →
2) Awkward means clumsy, moving in a way that is not smooth. tree →
3) Awkward means hard to use, carry or deal with, because of its shape or situation. tree →
4) An awkward person is hard to get along with. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life and in feelings lessons, children talk about awkward moments, like meeting someone new or a long silence. In stories, awkward shows embarrassment or clumsiness. Phrases: an awkward silence, feel awkward, an awkward shape, awkward to carry.
examples
- There was an awkward silence after the joke. tree →
- I felt awkward when I forgot her name. tree →
- The box was an awkward shape to carry. tree →
- The baby giraffe took awkward steps. tree →
- It is awkward to write with your other hand. tree →
- Meeting new people can feel awkward at first. tree →
- Sorry, it's an awkward time; can you call back later? tree →
- He gave an awkward little wave. tree →
- That seemed to be everything, and an awkward pause followed. tree →
note
Spelling trap: awkward has two w's: a-w-k-w-a-r-d. Adverb: awkwardly; noun: awkwardness. Use an: an awkward moment. Feeling awkward is normal and passes; a kind smile helps.
In the corpora
- The most awkward moment was with Connor, the boy who once punched Maddie's nose because he was «all for equality».
- Telling small truths again and again, even awkward ones, is how trust is won back.
- Being rich can feel awkward too.
- Different amounts of money can make a friendship awkward, but neither friend is to blame, and talking honestly helps.
- She feels awkward, then joins in and loves it.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «awkward» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.