Clumsiness

/ˈklʌmzinəs/ noun

Definition

The quality of being awkward and ungraceful, often resulting in dropping things or bumping into objects.

Etymology

From 'clumsy' (possibly from Old Norse 'klumsa,' meaning to handle roughly) + '-ness' (a suffix making abstract nouns). 'Clumsy' emerged in the 1600s in English.

Kelly Says

Scientists studying clumsiness found that people aren't actually clumsy—their brains are just processing information differently, so someone might be 'clumsy' indoors but graceful when they're focused on a sport, showing that clumsiness is more about attention than ability.

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