wonky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈwäŋ-kē How to pronounce wonky (audio)
ˈwȯŋ-
wonkier; wonkiest
US
: characteristic of, relating to, or suggestive of a wonk: such as
a
: preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field
She can get wonky about the economy when she wants to, but what sets her apart is her ability to tell a coherent, populist story about it in a way that other members of her party are either unwilling or unable to do.Rebecca Traister
b
: used by or appealing to wonks
… one of those politicians who actually find pleasure in the often-wonky details of public policy.John Powers
wonkiness noun

wonky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

won·​ky ˈwäŋ-kē How to pronounce wonky (audio)
wonkier; wonkiest
1
British : unsteady, shaky
2
chiefly British : awry, wrong

Examples of wonky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Part of it is such a wonky, stupid screenwriter thing but three and five are the big magical numbers for writing. Nick Romano, EW.com, 24 Sep. 2024 At Prada, where collars were threaded with wire and styled wonky. Scarlett Conlon, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024 The wonky geography of the fjord suggested that the seiche’s energy would only leak out into open waters gradually, helping to explain its longevity. Robin George Andrews, Quanta Magazine, 12 Sep. 2024 Everyone knows Sheen played President Josiah Bartlet, the wonky former economist who became Commander-in-Chief, leading the country through two terms, despite suffering from multiple sclerosis. Peter White, Deadline, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for wonky 

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

probably alteration of English dialect wankle, from Middle English wankel, from Old English wancol; akin to Old High German wankōn to totter — more at wench

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1978, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wonky was in 1918

Dictionary Entries Near wonky

Cite this Entry

“Wonky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonky. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

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