dinky

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: overly or unattractively small

drives a dinky little car

also, British : attractively small : cute

Synonyms

• bantam
• diminutive
• dwarfish
• fine
• half-pint
• Lilliputian
• little
• pint-size
• pint-sized
• pocket
• pocket-size
• pocket-sized
• puny
• pygmy
• shrimpy
• slight
• small
• smallish
• subnormal
• toylike
• undersized
• undersize

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 on the Web

She’s slipped from being a rom-com queen to leading a procedural to dithering with a shift toward action in projects that have felt increasingly dinky and downmarket, considering what she’s proven capable of. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 May 2024

Big, 5-pound class fish strike sluggishly at times and come unbuttoned right at the bank while those dinky 12-inchers remain solidly hooked. —Jim Gronaw, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2024

The wrestling star also shares daughter Simone Alexandra with ex-wife and film producer Dany Garcia. Dwayne Johnson and Lauren Hashian's Relationship Timeline 13 of 17 Chip and Joanna Gaines Don't expect a dinky paper card from Chip Gaines. —Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024

That’s more than 85,000 years worth of attention on a dinky little drama with no big ambitions. —Travis M. Andrews, Washington Post, 13 Dec. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Scots dink neat

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dinky

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: very small and unimpressive

a dinky room