I honestly hate the word.
My belief is this: If you call something awkward, you are the one responsible for having made it so.
So basically “Whoever smelt it dealt it”, but with regards to awkwardness instead of…farts…
I agree with this 100%. If you think something is awkward it’s most likely just you, not someone else or the situation. That’s why I never feel awkward, because I don’t really let things bother or embarrass me,