Meaning & use
walk ungracefully
Last updated
Meaning
phraseintransitive
To move on foot in a clumsy, awkward, or inelegant manner.
Grammar: No object; often used with adverbs of manner or in descriptions of movement.
Patterns
- walk ungracefully across something
- walk ungracefully toward someone
After the injury, he walked ungracefully, dragging his left foot.
She walked ungracefully in the heavy boots, tripping over her own feet.
The toddler walked ungracefully, arms outstretched for balance.
Common combinations
- walk ungracefully across the room
- He walked ungracefully across the room, knocking into chairs.
- walk ungracefully in high heels
- She walked ungracefully in high heels, unused to the height.
- walk ungracefully down the stairs
- The old dog walked ungracefully down the stairs, joints stiff.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stumble
- Suggests tripping or almost falling, often because of an obstacle, not just awkward style.
- lumber
- Describes heavy, clumsy movement, often for large people or animals; more literary.
- shuffle
- Means to walk without lifting the feet properly, often due to tiredness or age.
Opposites
Word family
- ungraceful adjective
- Lacking elegance or smoothness in movement or style.
- ungracefully adverb
- In a clumsy or awkward manner.
Commonly confused: walk ungracefully or walk ungraciously?
walk ungracefully vs walk ungraciously
Ungraciously means rudely or without courtesy; ungracefully means without physical grace.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'walk ungracefully' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only option 0 describes awkward physical movement. The others either use an object incorrectly or describe normal walking without the meaning of clumsiness.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “walk ungracefully”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.