dinky

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English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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1780-90; compare Scots dink (neatly dressed, trim) (of obscure origin); sense shift perhaps: trim > dainty > small > insignificant; +‎ -y.

Adjective

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dinky (comparative dinkier, superlative dinkiest)

  1. (informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and attractive.
    • 1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “chapter 11”, in Anne of the Island:
      How do you like my hat? That one you had on in church yesterday was real dinky.
    • 2010, Sharon Wallace, A House Full of Whispers[1], page 5:
      I played in the dirt with a small dinky car as the garage held no fascination for a little girl of five.
    • 2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:
      “Ooh, well, he is a particularly pretty one. Look at his dinky little nose,” said Raj with a sweet smile.
  2. (informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable.
    They stayed in a dinky hotel room, but they had a great trip.
Synonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Noun

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dinky (plural dinkies)

  1. A dinky thing.
    1. (Appalachia) A small mine car; especially, a small coal car.

Etymology 2

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See DINK

Noun

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dinky (plural dinkies)

  1. (slang) A person in a relationship with double income and no kids

Anagrams

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