dinky

adjective din·ky \ ˈdiŋ-kē \

Definition of dinky

dinkier; dinkiest

: overly or unattractively small

drives a dinky little car

; also, British : attractively small : cute

See dinky defined for English-language learners

See dinky defined for kids

Examples of dinky in a Sentence

I used to drive a dinky little car.
recent college graduates crowding into a dinky New York City apartment

Recent Examples of dinky from the Web

Honest Theatre does Shakespeare’s late romance as a five-hander in 90 minutes, with cuts deeper than a Republican budget and a dinky movable set made of tulle and some PVC pipe.

— Chicago Reader, "It Came From the Neo-Futurarium XII, In the Soundless Awe, and six more new stage shows," 28 June 2017
Infotainment Features Ford provides a too-short list of standard connectivity features on the base Edge SE: a dinky Sync display, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, and one USB port.

— drew dorian, Car and Driver, "2017 Ford Edge," 20 July 2017
At the time, people were used to seeing individual acts perform at dinky civic centers and small theaters.

— jim harrington, The Mercury News, "How Monterey Pop Festival changed music forever," 14 June 2017
Ford Edge View 73 Photos Ford provides a too-short list of standard connectivity features on the base Edge SE: a dinky Sync display, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, and one USB port.

— drew dorian, Car and Driver, "2018 Ford Edge," 12 Aug. 2017
However, three of the last four have weighed less than that benchmark, including a comparatively dinky 196-pound winner in 2015.

— mike campbell, Alaska Dispatch News, "Valdez woman lands 374-pound halibut aboard husband’s charter boat," 8 Aug. 2017
Think: Pancake mixes for one, dinky wine charms, beer koozies with other peoples’ names on them.

— rachel tepper paley, Bon Appetit, "Where to Splurge vs. Save on Your Wedding's Dining Budget," 8 Aug. 2017
Barring a miracle, the Creamsicle will weigh in at a relatively dinky 1,000 pounds, just a statewide finisher at best.

— abigail tucker, Smithsonian, "Why Is America Losing Ground in the Contest to Grow the World’s Biggest Pumpkin?," 30 Sep. 2017
Think: Pancake mixes for one, dinky wine charms, beer koozies with other peoples’ names on them.

— rachel tepper paley, Bon Appetit, "Where to Splurge vs. Save on Your Wedding's Dining Budget," 9 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dinky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dinky

Scots dink neat

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First Known Use: 1880

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dinky Synonyms

DINKY Defined for English Language Learners

dinky

adjective

Definition of dinky for English Language Learners

: very small and not appealing
: small and appealing

DINKY Defined for Kids

dinky

adjective din·ky \ ˈdiŋ-kē \

Definition of dinky for Students

: very small and not impressive

a dinky car

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