poky

adjective

ˈpō-kē 

variants or pokey

pokier; pokiest

1

: small and cramped

2

: shabby, dull

3

: annoyingly slow

pokily

ˈpō-kə-lē 

adverb

pokiness

ˈpō-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• crawling
• creeping
• dallying
• dawdling
• dilatory
• dillydallying
• dragging
• laggard
• lagging
• languid
• leisurely
• poking
• slow
• sluggish
• snail-paced
• snaillike
• tardy
• unhurried

Examples of poky in a Sentence

frustrated with the poky traffic during rush hour

Recent Examples on the Web

Well-fed clouds, almost too substantial to be believed, floated above islands carpeted with evergreens, cheerful sailboats, and a poky ferry slowly gliding along the navy blue waters. —Jesse Ashlock, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 May 2024

Here in the United States, a high percentage of public chargers are poky Level 2 units that deliver alternating current at 240 volts. —Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024

The elevators are poky by modern office-building standards but more than enough for the lighter demands of a residence, and presumably they’ll get upgraded anyway. —Curbed, 26 Oct. 2023

The new film is much pokier in its pacing, with duller characters. —Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023

Word History

Etymology

poke entry 2

First Known Use

1828, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

poky

adjective

variants or pokey

ˈpō-kē 

pokier; pokiest

1

: being small and cramped

a poky room

2

: so slow as to be annoying

pokiness noun