balky

adjective

ˈbȯ-kē

sometimes ˈbȯl-

balkier; balkiest

Synonyms of balky next

: refusing or likely to refuse to proceed, act, or function as directed or expected

a balky mule

a balky engine

balkiness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for balky

contrary, perverse, restive, balky, wayward mean inclined to resist authority or control.

contrary implies a temperamental unwillingness to accept orders or advice.

a contrary child

perverse may imply wrongheaded, determined, or cranky opposition to what is reasonable or normal.

a perverse, intractable critic

restive suggests unwillingness or inability to submit to discipline or follow orders.

tired soldiers growing restive

balky suggests a refusing to proceed in a desired direction or course of action.

a balky witness

wayward suggests strong-willed capriciousness and irregularity in behavior.

a school for wayward youths

Example Sentences

a balky toddler who only seemed to know the word “no” when told to do something

Recent Examples on the Web Yes, Julius Randle has the balky ankle and Quentin Grimes is dealing with a shoulder issue that kept him out of the Knicks’ final two games against Cleveland. —

Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2023 Unfortunately, our test car suffered from a balky folding top, a climate control that went belly-up, and a bad case of the stalls. —

Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 24 Apr. 2023 Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Through the first three weeks of the season, UTSA offensive lineman Ernesto Almaraz was restricted to mostly mental repetition in practice, refining his technique against air to limit the burden on his balky ankle. —

Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Nov. 2022 And those non-Tesla providers have often been assailed with criticism over balky or broken chargers. —

IEEE Spectrum, 6 Apr. 2023 About midyear, the Shelby will also get the new Lancer's dual-rail five-speed manual shifter to replace the current, slightly balky shifter. —

Jean Lindamood, Car and Driver, 28 Mar. 2023 Through the first three weeks of the season, UTSA offensive lineman Ernesto Almaraz was restricted to mostly mental repetition in practice, refining his technique against air to limit the burden on his balky ankle. —

Greg Luca, San Antonio Express-News, 3 Nov. 2022 The flood of layoffs overwhelmed the employment department, which resorted to manually processing hundreds of thousands of claims because its balky computers couldn’t handle the volume of applications or the changes in federal programs authorized by Congress. —

oregonlive, 27 July 2022 The pandemic has reinforced the urgent need to modernize, accelerating a digital transformation effort promoted by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, including the opening on Wednesday of a new Digital Agency intended to improve the government’s notoriously balky online services. —

New York Times, 1 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'balky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.