# unwieldy

/ənˈwiɫdi/ (US) · /ʌnwˈiːldi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/unwieldy
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 2. difficult to manage

adjective · CEFR C1 · Academic

describes a system or group that is too large or complicated to work well.

For teachers: difficult to manage or operate efficiently due to excessive size or complexity; often applied to organisations or legal systems.

- The company became too unwieldy after buying ten smaller businesses in one year.
- Critics argued that the new legislation was far too unwieldy to be enforced effectively by such a small department.

## Examples

- The large suitcase is too unwieldy to carry up the stairs.
- The new software update made the interface so unwieldy that many users preferred to return to the older version.
- The merger created an unwieldy corporate structure that struggled to maintain the agility required to compete in the fast-paced technology sector.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.