1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

kinky

adjective

ˈkiŋ-kē How to pronounce kinky (audio)
Definition of kinkynext
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion while passing through the airport, don't do anything kinky that is likely to draw the suspicion of security

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of kinky Oakland native Daveed Diggs has a grand time too in this wild celebration of kinky head and body games. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 11 June 2026 Unlike the coolly impassive Pop artists, the Who weren’t afraid to get personal, or to let their art echo the anxious, kinky, maladjusted yammering in their own heads. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 Ultimately, Aikens wants the restaurant to draw the kinky and non-kinky alike. — Victoria M. Walker, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 May 2026 Celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble suggests every two to three days, and adds that kinky, natural coily hair should be conditioned before shampooing. — Aimee Simeon, Glamour, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for kinky
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kinky
  1. bizarre
  2. strange
  3. weird
  4. funny
  5. curious
  6. odd
  7. peculiar
  8. erratic
Adjective
  • The bizarre explanation brought an end to an episode that generated widespread attention online after Pierre initially accused the courier of stealing the order.
    — Peter Burke, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • An exhausting, head-spinning and often downright silly offseason is officially over after college football really kicked off on Thursday (after the always bizarre Week 0 last weekend).
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • In a strange quirk of the 2026-27 fixture list, Leeds have been sent to the scenes of those crimes in quick succession once again.
    — Beren Cross, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In short, unruly crowds, strange smells, intrusive noise and late nights are not unique inventions of the TikTok era.
    — Douglas Robson, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • But the weird stuff came behind the bench, where the Oilers sure seemed to want to hire Bruce Cassidy, only to be blocked by Vegas.
    — Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Everyone in town thinks the aunts are weird as hell, but who cares?
    — Jessica M. Goldstein, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of weird
Adjective
  • Occasionally, this appeared to be in jest (although not actually very funny).
    — Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Mulligan should win for her darkly funny, cringe-inducing turn, though Snook, Pidgeon and sentimental favorite Field are all in play too.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • Still, Linnetz harbors a curious desire about the experience of helming a big house one day.
    — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
  • While some may be curious and excited about the growth opportunities of AI, the fear of replacement is still a real concern.
    — Tal Dagan, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of curious
Adjective
  • Back in January, guests took the chance and filled quite a few odd items with popcorn.
    — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Which is certainly an odd way to go about saving children from abuse, as Hansen continually explains the mission to Decoy Dan.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of odd
Adjective
  • Giddey, a peculiar player to build around or give the keys to an offense with eventual playoff aspirations, is on a reasonable deal, still fairly productive and had some level of interest from Minnesota.
    — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Winds may not be quite as strong near Sacramento in the evening as the Delta breeze counteracts some of the north winds — a peculiar setup — but could still be gusty in sudden bursts.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of peculiar
Adjective
  • The set-up is fast and the humor on the wacky side, like a Coen brothers flick minus their mastery of narrative rhythm, which here remains erratic throughout.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Despite his powerful positions, Musk has also embraced the role of internet troll, using his massive online platforms to spew erratic, seemingly contradictory positions and frequently whip his army of followers into a frenzy.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of erratic

Browse Nearby Words

kinks
kinky
kins
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kinky. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All