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schwerfällig

ponderous, cumbersome

adjective SHVER-fel-ikh Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Quality

Also means

slow-moving, laboured

Usage Note

Schwerfällig describes movement, thought, or communication that is slow and heavy, lacking lightness or agility. A schwerfälliger Stil (laboured style) in writing lacks elegance; a schwerfälliger Gang (heavy gait) describes laboured walking.

Examples

"Der schwerfällige Bürokratieprozess verlangsamte das Projekt erheblich."

Natural Translation

The cumbersome bureaucratic process slowed the project considerably.

Literal Translation

The ponderous bureaucracy-process slowed the project considerably.

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