different between gawby vs gawky

English

Noun

gawby (plural gawbies)

1. (Britain, dialect, archaic) A baby.
2. (Britain, dialect, archaic) A dunce.

English

Etymology

gawk +? -y.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /????ki/

  Rhymes: -??ki

Adjective

gawky (comparative gawkier, superlative gawkiest)

1. Awkward, ungainly; lacking grace or dexterity in movement.
   • 2009, Appalachian Children's Literature: An Annotated Bibliography, McFarland (?ISBN), page 77:

     The “gawky” illustrations look as though they may have been done by Belva Jean herself (Bulletin, Mar. 1989).

   • 2020, Ann H. Gabhart, An Appalachian Summer, Revell (?ISBN)

     The woman had barely come up to Seth's shoulder. Petite with curly blonde hair and a dimpled smile. Nothing at all like Francine with her plain brown hair and hazel eyes. Just looking at the woman's picture had made her feel tall and gawky.

2. (Yorkshire, West Riding) left-handed

Synonyms

• gauche, ungraceful

Translations

Noun

gawky (plural gawkies)

1. An awkward, ungainly person.
   • 1870, Punch, volume 58, page 198:

     Let not the inconveniently tall, the gawkies, the Maypoles, despair.