WONKY Definition & Meaning

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wonky

[ wong-kee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

Slang.

wonkier, wonkiest.

(of a person) shaky, groggy, or unsteady.
not exactly straight or balanced; off-kilter:
a wonky chair with an uneven leg.
not working properly; faulty; unreliable:
Something went wonky with my computer.
crazy; mad:
That's just odd logic and wonky reasoning.

wonky

[ wong-kee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

Slang.

wonkier, wonkiest.

stupid; boring; unattractive.
relating to, appealing to, or characteristic of a wonk; concerned with minute details of a topic or issue:
a wonky bureaucrat.

wonky

/ ˈ��ɒŋ��ɪ /

adjective

shaky or unsteady
not in correct alignment; askew
liable to break down or develop a fault

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

�ɴǲ�·�쾱·�Ա�� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of wonky¹

First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol; wench ) + -y ¹

Origin of wonky²

First recorded in 1975–80; wonk ( def ) + -y ¹( def )

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of wonky¹

C20: variant of dialect wanky, from Old English wancol

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than that to keep a bad b— down. This eye wonky, b— but I’m not.”

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This media can’t be boring or overly wonky — it must speak in popular vernaculars with style and panache.

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The trademark wonky legs and crooked eyes have proved really popular with pet owners.

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"Maybe they should be utilised like the wonky fruit you see in supermarkets," she said.

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Today, Musk is wearing a suit that looks unremarkable except for one detail: a slightly wonky tie.

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Related 51�Թ�s

wonkish wonna

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