Meaning of ham-fisted | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Lacking skill in physical movement with the hands; clumsy.
   informal
2. Lacking skill in general; incompetent.
   broadly, informal

Equivalents

Examples

“"God damn and blast all you hamfisted yokels!" he was saying. "And you, sir, down there. Take⟳ that grin off your face⟳ and be more careful, or I'll have⟳ you clapped under hatches to sail⟳ with us today. Easy, there, easy! Christ, rum at seven guineas an anker isn't meant to be dropped like⟳ pig iron⟳!"”

“[Stephen] Harper has a few weeks' grace, during which he and his ham-fisted finance minister, Jim Flaherty, can ponder the error of their ways.”

“In 1973, Sonia Orwell broke David Bowie's heart by refusing him permission to adapt her late husband [George Orwell]'s final novel into a rock musical. She had rebuffed every request⟳ since the hamfisted 1956 movie version starring Edmond O'Brien, and was never likely to make⟳ an exception for a glam-rock dandy, but he was sorely aggrieved.”

“What an utter farce. Just like⟳ DfT [the Department for Transport⟳]'s ham-fisted, blundering ticket office closure programme.”

CEFR level