What does unwieldy mean?
Word: Unwieldy
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unwieldy means hard to move, carry or control because it is so big, heavy or oddly shaped.
Synonyms: bulky
How do you spell unwieldy?
Syllables: un - wield - y
Tricky part: The two vowels in the middle swap places easily, so unweildy is the usual slip.
Watch out for: unweildy, unwealdy
Memory tip: Picture two friends dragging a huge sofa across a field. The middle vowels of field are the ones you need here.
Unwieldy in a sentence
Example 1: Two porters carried the unwieldy trunk up the narrow stairs.
Example 2: The unwieldy banner kept slipping from the pupils' hands in the wind.
Example 3: Dad found the giant box so unwieldy that he had to take it into the lift sideways.
Fun Fact
The word is not kept for objects alone. Writers also use it for things with no weight at all, such as a committee with too many members or a sentence that runs on for half a page.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
unwieldey
a) e
b) y
c) l
d) d
Show answer
a) e. Only one vowel of this kind belongs in the word, and it is not at the end.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
unwieldy
a) ponderous
b) cumbersome
c) awkward
d) manageable
Show answer
d) manageable. Something easy to handle is the reverse of a load that fights you.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
wdyulien
a) unworthy
b) unwieldy
c) unwisely
d) unlikely
Show answer
b) unwieldy. The d is the clue: of the four words, only this one has a d.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) vigourous
b) unwieldy
c) mischevous
d) courageus
Show answer
b) unwieldy. Mischievous has an i after the h, courageous keeps the e of courage, and vigorous drops the u of vigour.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which load would you find the most unwieldy?
a) a long ladder on a narrow staircase
b) a paper kite on a windy hill
c) a small torch in a coat pocket
d) a pencil case in a school bag
Show answer
a) a long ladder on a narrow staircase
2. Why might a removal company charge extra for an unwieldy wardrobe?
a) it was bought in a sale
b) it needs more people to shift it
c) its wood has a strong smell
d) it has a high resale value
Show answer
b) it needs more people to shift it
