dinky

1 of 2

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: overly or unattractively small

drives a dinky little car

also, British : attractively small : cute

dinky

2 of 2

noun

din·​ky

variant spelling of dinkey

: a small locomotive

Synonyms of dinky

Adjective

• small
• diminutive
• little
• tiny
• pocket

Examples of dinky in a Sentence

Adjective

I used to drive a dinky little car.

recent college graduates crowding into a dinky New York City apartment

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Laden with modern conveniences, today's dahabeahs are admittedly no longer sprightly enough to be harried along by wind and sail; instead they are pushed and pulled by dinky-looking tugboats. — Selina Denman, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Nov. 2026

Stretching out a dinky tape measure that keeps shimmying or bending or snapping back into the roll. — Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 14 June 2026

Enmeshed in scandal, the former duke and duchess of York have practically vanished from public view – and so have the queen's dinky golden furballs. — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 7 June 2026

And pushing ‘go’ is what this dinky little Honda seems to be about. — New Atlas, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Scots dink neat

First Known Use

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dinky

• inky
• kinky
• pinkie
• pinky
• slinky
• stinky

Kids Definition

dinky

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: very small and unimpressive

a dinky room