Awkwardish

/ˈɔːkwərdɪʃ/ adjective

Definition

Somewhat awkward; having the qualities of awkwardness to a moderate or mild degree.

Etymology

From 'awkward' plus '-ish' (Germanic suffix meaning 'having the quality of' or 'somewhat'). The '-ish' suffix is extremely productive in English for creating milder, less extreme versions.

Kelly Says

The '-ish' suffix is brilliant for hedging—'awkwardish' means you can't fully commit to calling something awkward; it's a linguistic way of saying 'kind of' or 'sort of.' English speakers use it constantly: brownish, bluish, smallish!

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