a. Also 6 clumbsie, 6–8 clumsie, 6–7 clomsey. [Appears in writers c. 1600; not used by Shakespeare; not in Florio, Cotgrave, Bullokar, Cockeram, Blount, Phillips (1696), nor in Cocker 1704. Marston’s use of it (among other ‘wild outlandish terms’) was ridiculed by Ben Jonson in Poetaster, V. i., where Crispinus (i.e., Marston) is made to speak of ‘clumsie chilblain’d judgment.’ App. f. CLUMSE v. + -Y: cf. drowsy, bousy; but it is to be noted that at Lund, in Sweden, klumsi(g) is used in the primary sense ‘benumbed with cold,’ and also with the same signification as our ‘clumsy.’ Cf. klumsen under CLUMSE a.]
† 1. Benumbed or stiffened with cold. Obs.
1600. Holland, Livy, XXI. lvi. 425. The Carthaginians … returned into the campe so clumsie and frozen [ita torpentes gelu].
a. 1601. ? Marston, Pasquil & Kath., II. 136. Clumsie judgements, chilblain’d gowtie wits. Ibid. (1602), Antonio’s Rev., Prol. The rawish danke of clumsie winter ramps the fluent summers raine.
2. Acting or moving as if benumbed: heavy and awkward in motion or action; ungainly, unhandy; wanting in dexterity or grace.
1597–8. Bp. Hall, Sat., I. iii. 42. When each base clowne, his clumbsie fist doth bruise.
1691. Ray, Creation, II. (1704), 375. Apt to be moulded … even by clumsie fingers.
1727. Swift, Gulliver, III. ii. 189. In the common actions and behaviour of life, I have not seen a more clumsy, aukward, and unhandy people.
1784. Cowper, Task, I. 18. Invention … Dull in design, and clumsy to perform.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 63. Soc.… I am very clumsy at these processes of division and enumeration.
3. fig. Applied to actions and products of clumsy hands: Ill-contrived, awkward.
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., II. In clumsy verse, unlick’d, unpointed.
1710. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 9 Sept. The great men making me their clumsy apologies, etc.
1828. D’Israeli, Chas. I., I. ii. 11. Harris asserts from internal evidence, the whole narrative to be a clumsy forgery!
1875. Stubbs, Const. Hist., III. xviii. 229. By such a clumsy expedient.
4. Rudely constructed; of awkward, ungainly or ungraceful shape; inelegant, unwieldy.
a. 1763. Shenstone, Poems, Wks. 1764, I. 229. The clumsy shape, the frightful mien … Of that grim brute yclep’d a bear.
a. 1788. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr. (1861), III. 515. A fine young woman altogether; rather a little clumsy, but fine complexion, teeth, and nails.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 88.
| But your wet ropes | |
| And clumsy oars—faugh! they give blisters first | |
| And then a horny hand. |
1888. Lady, 25 Oct., 374/1. The boots … are a trifle clumsy.
5. Comb.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 288. Our clumsy-fisted imagination.
