CUMBROUS Synonyms: 27 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'cumbrous' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cumbrous are cumbersome , heavy , ponderous , and weighty . While all these words mean "having great weight," cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating. // wrestled with the cumbrous furniture // early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

Q: When could 'heavy' be used to replace 'cumbrous'?

The synonyms heavy and cumbrous are sometimes interchangeable, but heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class. // a heavy child for his age

Q: Where would 'ponderous' be a reasonable alternative to 'cumbrous'?

While in some cases nearly identical to cumbrous , ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia. // ponderous elephants in a circus parade

Q: In what contexts can 'weighty' take the place of 'cumbrous'?

The meanings of weighty and cumbrous largely overlap; however, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight. // a load of weighty boxes

cumbrous

adjective

ˈkəm-b(ə-)rəs

Definition of cumbrous

as in clumsy

difficult to use or operate especially because of size, weight, or design it took two people to haul the cumbrous machine into the garage

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How does the adjective cumbrous differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of cumbrous are cumbersome, heavy, ponderous, and weighty. While all these words mean "having great weight," cumbrous and cumbersome imply heaviness and bulkiness that make for difficulty in grasping, moving, carrying, or manipulating.

wrestled with the cumbrous furniture

early cameras were cumbersome and inconvenient

When could heavy be used to replace cumbrous?

The synonyms heavy and cumbrous are sometimes interchangeable, but heavy implies that something has greater density or thickness than the average of its kind or class.

a heavy child for his age

Where would ponderous be a reasonable alternative to cumbrous?

While in some cases nearly identical to cumbrous, ponderous implies having great weight because of size and massiveness with resulting great inertia.

ponderous elephants in a circus parade

In what contexts can weighty take the place of cumbrous?

The meanings of weighty and cumbrous largely overlap; however, weighty suggests having actual and not just relative weight.

a load of weighty boxes

Example Sentences

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 cumbrous Although the novel’s center does not quite hold, O’Farrell’s emotional intelligence — the heart and heat of her characters — braces this sometimes unwieldy chronicle of a nation that has been subject to cumbrous historic agonies. — Rachel Vorona Cote, Vulture, 2 June 2026 There were three good reasons to abandon the Clean Power Plan, and EPA administrator Scott Pruitt cited two of them in his decision, announced Monday, to rescind the cumbrous carbon dioxide rule. — The Editors, National Review, 9 Oct. 2017 The Road Home Program, a state program supposed to help rebuild, was cumbrous and slow, and grants often didn’t cover the cost of repairs. — Washington Post, 1 Sep. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cumbrous

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

Adjective

As a result, New York got a great public space — and resuscitating the BQE became far more complicated and cumbersome.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 24 Aug. 2026
Until recently, American orders were shipped from Portugal, adding delivery time, customs and duties, while making returns and exchanges more cumbersome.

— Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of cumbersome

Adjective

Having one starting pitcher repeat an unwieldy path from a season ago is one thing.

— Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 24 Aug. 2026
The shares are down more than 55% this year, and the global auto giant faces mounting pressure for radical action to counter Chinese competition, repair the damage from costly electric-vehicle missteps and prune an unwieldy stable of brands.

— Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of unwieldy

Adjective

Another standout scene features Floyd, who looks like a soft, somewhat ungainly middle-aged man, suddenly getting on a pommel horse and doing something extraordinary.

— Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Using original photographs, and input from the Pourtout archives, the restoration team reversed the ungainly Saoutchik body modifications, and the curved windshield and twin rear-window design returned.

— Howard Walker, Robb Report, 3 July 2026

Definition of ungainly

Adjective

In one of the side plots to The Lord of the Rings, two of the Hobbits attempt to rouse Treebeard—a wise but ponderous sentient tree—to defend his forest from an army that is cutting it down.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026
The bass kept boring doggedly toward shore, lunging and vaulting into the air in ponderous leaps.

— Ted Janes, Outdoor Life, 21 May 2026

Definition of ponderous

Cite this Entry

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“Cumbrous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cumbrous. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of cumbrous

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