Tra từ awkward - Từ điển Oxford Advanced Learner 8th

awk·ward BrE [ˈɔːkwəd] NAmE [ˈɔːkwərd] adjective
1. making you feel embarrassed
• There was an awkward silence.
• I felt awkward because they obviously wanted to be alone.
2. difficult to deal with
Syn: ↑difficult
• Don't ask awkward questions.
• You've put me in an awkward position.
•an awkward customer (= a person who is difficult to deal with)
•Please don't be awkward about letting him come.
•It makes things awkward for everyone when you behave like that.
3. not convenient
Syn: ↑inconvenient
• Have I come at an awkward time?
4. difficult or dangerous because of its shape or design
• This box is very awkward for one person to carry.
• This tool will reach into awkward corners, such as under kitchen units.
5. not moving in an easy way; not comfortable
• He tried to dance, but he was too clumsy and awkward.
• I must have slept in an awkward position— I'm aching all over.
Derived Words: ↑awkwardly ▪ ↑awkwardness

Word Origin:
late Middle English (in the sense ‘the wrong way round, upside down’): from dialect awk ‘backwards, perverse, clumsy’ (from Old Norse afugr ‘turned the wrong way’) + ↑-ward.

Thesaurus:
awkward adj.
1.
•She is awkward with people she doesn't know.
uncomfortable • • embarrassed • • self-conscious • • sheepish •
awkward/uncomfortable/embarrassed/self-conscious/sheepish about sth
an awkward/uncomfortable/embarrassed silence
a/an embarrassed/self-conscious/sheepish smile
Awkward, uncomfortable or embarrassed? Embarrassed is used especially to describe how sb feels; uncomfortable can describe a situation; awkward often describes sb's personality or usual behaviour.
2.
•You've put me in an awkward position.
problematic • • delicate • • sensitive • |informal tricky •
a/an awkward/problematic/delicate/sensitive/tricky matter/situation
a/an awkward/problematic/delicate/sensitive relationship
a/an awkward/delicate/sensitive/tricky question/subject/problem
3.
•Please don't be awkward about letting him come.
difficult • • perverse • • obstructive • • uncooperative • • unhelpful •
be awkward/difficult about sth
an awkward/a difficult customer
deliberately awkward/perverse/obstructive

Example Bank:
•He always sounded awkward on the phone.
•He could make things very awkward for me if he wanted to.
•He was embarrassed, which made him awkward.
•I was the most socially awkward person you could imagine.
•She asked some rather awkward questions.
•She is awkward with people she doesn't know.
•They felt awkward about having to leave so soon.
•Don't ask awkward questions.
•He can be an awkward customer.
•He was in an awkward situation and I thought he handled it very well.
•Please don't be awkward about letting him come.
•That's a bit awkward for me— could we make it earlier?
•There was an awkward moment when they asked about his wife.
•You've put me in an awkward position.