Awkwardness
/ˈɔː.kwəd.nəs/noun
The state or quality of being clumsy, uncomfortable, or difficult to deal with.
Did you know?The core of awkward comes from Old Norse *afugr* (“turned the wrong way, back to front”), and English later reshaped it into a word for clumsiness and social discomfort.
Etymological Timeline
Old Norse
ON
afugr
“turned the wrong way, back to front”
Middle English
ME
awkward
“left-handed, clumsy, or not in the proper direction”
15th Century
English
awkward
“clumsy, inept, or difficult to manage”
17th Century
English
awkwardness
“the quality of being awkward”
Modern English
English
awkwardness
“the state of being clumsy, uncomfortable, or socially uneasy”