HAM-FISTED Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

ham-fisted

adjective

ˈham-ˌfi-stəd

Definition of ham-fisted

as in clumsy

lacking or showing a lack of nimbleness in using one's hands that's a ham-fisted paint job if I ever saw one

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ham-fisted And some obvious references to the Garden of Eden with a woman named Eve searching for her truth are ham-fisted, but also a hallmark of the genre. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 5 June 2025 The bill could not have been better designed to violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause; as a law school practice problem, it would have been considered a little ham-fisted. — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 27 May 2025 Musk’s tactics are ham-fisted, but the bottom line in ensuring the country’s bottom line is sound, is a good one and worth pursuing. — Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2025 Merz’s gambit, though ham-fisted, was a recognition that rebuilding public trust around migration policy will be key to the next government’s success. — Ido Vock, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ham-fisted

Adjective

Yirenki’s challenge on Christos Tzolis is clumsy, but well short of a first yellow card, let alone a second.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
Vocals are surprisingly good, despite the show being a bit awkward and clumsy at times.

— Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of clumsy

Adjective

The Moon in Pisces moves through your 6th House of Work, Health, and Daily Routines while making an awkward angle to Venus in Libra and your 1st House of Self.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
Most of us have felt awkward during those first tentative steps back into dating.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of awkward

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hamartias

ham-fisted

ham-handed

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“Ham-fisted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ham-fisted. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ham-fisted

adjective

Example Sentences

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