Awkward, clumsy, maladroit, inept, gauche mean not adapted by constitution or character to act, operate, or achieve the intended or desired ends with ease, fitness, or grace.
Awkward and clumsy are by far the widest of these terms in their range of application.
Awkward often involves the idea of unfitness for easy handling or dexterous management. It may suggest unhandiness or inconvenience. It may suggest embarrassment or discomfiture.
When applied to persons, their build, their movements, or their manners, awkward usually implies a lack of ease or grace and often suggests inadequate muscular coordination or deficiency in poise; thus, an awkward gait implies lack of muscular control; an awkward greeting implies want of tact or address.
Clumsy stresses stiffness or heaviness with consequent want of flexibility or dexterity and is often applied to something so constructed or contrived as to be lumbering or ponderous.
Often, and especially when applied to persons and their acts, it implies a lack of expertness or adroitness in manipulation often with a suggestion of bungling.
Maladroit and inept imply awkwardness or clumsiness in managing whatever requires mental or social dexterity and are applicable only to persons and their acts or utterances.
Maladroit implies a lack of tact or of skill in avoiding difficult situations in human intercourse and is often opposed to politic or diplomatic in their extended senses.
Inept stresses inappropriateness or lack of aptness especially in a person’s acts or utterances; often, in addition, it carries a suggestion of futility or absurdity; thus, a remark may be inept because it is so out of keeping with the topic under discussion as to seem pointless and also maladroit if it gives an awkward turn to the conversation.
Gauche suggests a lack of social graces that makes for clumsiness or ineptness: it may imply also shyness, inexperience, or ill breeding.