awkwardness
awkwardness — 名詞
1. a feeling of being uncomfortable, shy, or embarrassed in a social situation — fo
尷尬
社交場合中的尷尬或不自在
a feeling of being uncomfortable, shy, or embarrassed in a social situation — for example, when nobody speaks after an awkward pause or when you say the wrong thing at a formal dinner.
After his joke met with silence, an uncomfortable awkwardness settled over the dinner table.
他的笑話沒人回應後，一股令人不自在的尷尬籠罩了整張餐桌。
An uncomfortable awkwardness hung between Theo and his ex-friend; neither spoke for a long time.
Theo 和前朋友之間的尷尬氣氛非常濃厚，兩人很久都沒說話。
awkwardness + between + people — relationship tension
Meeting a partner's parents for the first time often brings some awkwardness.
第一次見另一半的父母，往往會帶來一些尷尬。
Ananya tried to break the awkwardness by asking a simple question, but the silence continued.
Ananya 想問個簡單的問題來打破尷尬，但沉默仍在持續。
- embarrassment
stronger and more specific than awkwardness — embarrassment involves shame after a specific incident, whereas awkwardness can be a general uncomfortable atmosphere
- discomfort
broader than awkwardness — can refer to physical unease, not just social
- unease
suggests anxiety or worry about what might happen, rather than current social tension
- ease
the comfortable, relaxed feeling that is the opposite of social awkwardness
文法句型
awkwardness + of + noun/gerund
awkwardness + between + people
awkwardness + with + noun
用法筆記
This is the most frequent sense of awkwardness. The word is uncountable in standard English — avoid using it with the indefinite article ('an awkwardness'). Common collocations include 'break the awkwardness', 'awkwardness between [people]', and 'social awkwardness'.
常見錯誤
2. the difficulty of handling, carrying, or using something because of its size, sh
不便；難用
因設計或形狀而不易使用
the difficulty of handling, carrying, or using something because of its size, shape, or poor design — like a heavy box with no handles or a tool that does not fit your hand well.
The awkwardness of the old-fashioned scissors made cutting thick fabric a real challenge.
那把老式剪刀的難用程度，讓剪厚布料成了真正的挑戰。
awkwardness + of + object — difficulty due to design
Mei quickly saw the awkwardness of carrying shopping bags and an umbrella in the rain.
Mei 很快就看出在下雨天同時提購物袋和撐傘有多不方便。
The awkwardness of the oddly shaped box made it hard to fit into the car.
那個形狀奇怪的箱子因為很難用，幾乎放不進車子裡。
The awkwardness of the new software meant Kenji needed three clicks to save a file.
新軟體的設計不便，讓 Kenji 存一個檔案得點三次滑鼠。
- inconvenience
focuses on the trouble caused rather than the inherent difficulty of the object's design
- cumbersomeness
specifically suggests something is heavy or bulky and hard to carry
- impracticality
suggests the design is not suited for its intended purpose
- convenience
ease of use or handling
文法句型
awkwardness + of + noun/gerund
用法筆記
This sense often describes physical objects (tools, furniture, packaging) but can also apply to abstract systems (software, processes, procedures). The construction 'awkwardness of [noun/gerund]' is the most common pattern.
3. a lack of smoothness, grace, or natural ease in the way someone moves or appears
笨拙
動作或外表不優雅、不自然
a lack of smoothness, grace, or natural ease in the way someone moves or appears — for example, tripping while walking across a stage, or standing with an unbalanced posture.
The teenager's sudden growth spurt left him with a certain awkwardness in his walk.
那個青少年因快速抽高，走路帶有一股笨拙感。
awkwardness + in + body part / movement
Sofia recalled the awkwardness of her first dance lesson, stepping on her partner's feet repeatedly.
Sofia 回憶起第一堂舞蹈課的笨拙模樣，不停地踩到舞伴的腳。
The horse moved with a surprising awkwardness, stumbling over stones that smaller animals crossed easily.
那匹馬移動時帶著驚人的笨拙，連小動物輕易跨過的石頭牠都會絆倒。
Amara noticed her brother's awkwardness as he tried to balance on the surfboard.
Amara 注意到哥哥在衝浪板上保持平衡時的笨拙模樣。
- clumsiness
more common and slightly stronger than awkwardness — suggests a tendency to drop or bump into things
- ungainliness
specifically describes large or tall people whose movements lack grace
- inelegance
focuses on appearance rather than movement; suggests a lack of style or refinement
文法句型
awkwardness + in + movement/posture/gait
awkwardness + of + body part/movement
用法筆記
This sense focuses on physical movement or appearance and differs from the SOCIAL EMBARRASSMENT sense (Sense 1): someone can move with awkwardness without feeling socially embarrassed. It is commonly used with body parts ('awkwardness of his limbs'), movement ('awkwardness in her gait'), or posture ('awkwardness of his stance').
4. behaviour in which someone intentionally refuses to cooperate, makes things diff
刁難
故意不配合或製造麻煩
behaviour in which someone intentionally refuses to cooperate, makes things difficult, or creates problems for others, often for selfish reasons.
The customer's deliberate awkwardness — refusing every solution the staff offered — tested everyone's patience.
那位顧客的刻意刁難——拒絕店員提出的每一個解決方案——考驗了所有人的耐心。
deliberate awkwardness — intentional uncooperativeness
Hassan's awkwardness during the meeting, constantly interrupting and rejecting ideas, frustrated the whole team.
Hassan 在會議上不斷插話、否定別人的想法，這種刁難態度讓整個團隊都很沮喪。
The landlord's awkwardness over the repair showed no intention of fixing the leaky pipe.
房東在維修問題上的刁難，顯示根本無意修理漏水的水管。
The negotiator viewed the other side's awkwardness as a tactic, not a genuine objection.
談判代表認為對方的刁難只是一種策略，而非真正的反對。
- uncooperativeness
more neutral — describes simple refusal to help without the element of active obstruction
- obstinacy
focuses on stubborn refusal to change position rather than active unhelpfulness
- obstructiveness
stronger and more negative — implies actively blocking progress
- cooperativeness
the willingness to work together and help
文法句型
deliberate/sheer awkwardness
awkwardness + over + topic
awkwardness + about + topic
用法筆記
This sense is primarily British English and often appears with 'deliberate' or 'sheer' for emphasis. It describes a wilful, oppositional attitude rather than accidental difficulty. Distinguish from Sense 2 (HARD TO USE), where the difficulty comes from the object's design, not from a person's attitude.