Unwieldy describes something that's difficult to move, carry, or control because of its size, shape, weight, or complexity. When you try to carry a large, awkward box full of books down the stairs, it's unwieldy. It might not be impossibly heavy, but its odd shape makes it hard to get a good grip, and you can't see where you're stepping.

The word often describes physical objects that are clumsy to handle. A knight's suit of armor might be unwieldy, making it hard to move quickly in battle. A ten-foot ladder is unwieldy to maneuver through doorways. But unwieldy can also describe systems, processes, or organizations that have become too complicated to work efficiently. A school's permission slip process becomes unwieldy when it requires five different signatures from four different offices.

Something unwieldy isn't necessarily broken or useless. It's just harder to work with than it should be. A simple backpack is easy to carry, but an unwieldy camping pack stuffed full of gear tips you backward and catches on tree branches. When something becomes unwieldy, people often look for ways to make it simpler, lighter, or more manageable.