schwerfällig

Schwerfällig is an adjective in the German language used to describe movement or operation characterized by heaviness and a slow pace, arising from weight, stiffness, fatigue, or inertia. It can refer to living beings, in which case it describes a slow, lumbering gait, and to inanimate objects, machinery, or processes that are cumbersome, inefficient, or slow to respond.

In physical contexts, one speaks of a schwerfälliger Gang or schwerfällige Schritte to denote a clumsy, heavy manner of movement. In technical or organizational contexts, schwerfällig describes systems or procedures that react slowly, are hard to modify, or require many resources to operate. The noun form is Schwerfälligkeit, meaning heaviness or inertia of movement.

Common synonyms include träge, langsam, behäbig, unbeweglich; near-antonyms include agil, wendig, flink, leichtfüßig. The term often carries a mildly critical undertone, signaling inefficiency or lack of agility.

See also: Trägheit, Behäbigkeit, Unbeweglichkeit (for mechanical or metaphorical inertia).