Synonyms of poking

poking 1 of 2

adjective

as in leisurely

moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed

the poking pace of the repair work has put everything way behind schedule

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leisurely
• slow
• dragging
• crawling
• creeping
• lagging
• poky
• dallying
• dilatory
• dillydallying
• slowing
• unhurried
• laggard
• dawdling
• sluggish
• tardy
• languid
• snaillike
• lounging
• lingering
• deliberate
• snail-paced
• loitering
• ambling
• lethargic
• inert
• shuffling
• measured
• loafing
• plodding
• inactive
• strolling
• procrastinating
• decelerating
• tarrying
• inching
• stalling
• heavy-footed
• filibustering
• slow-footed

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rushing
• running
• flying
• rapid
• lightning
• quick
• swift
• racing
• speeding
• breathless
• hasty
• speedy
• bolting
• dizzy
• brisk
• ready
• rocketing
• snappy
• fast
• whirlwind
• prompt
• fleet
• meteoric
• whirling
• hurrying
• scurrying
• expeditious
• scooting
• zipping
• scudding
• barreling
• whisking
• breakneck
• careering
• accelerated
• warp-speed
• rushed
• hastened
• quickened
• hurried

poking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of poke

1

as in protruding

to extend outward beyond a usual point

saw his head poking through the window

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protruding
• bulging
• jutting
• projecting
• swelling
• pouting
• overhanging
• standing out
• sticking out
• billowing
• bunching
• ballooning
• bellying
• starting
• pooching
• pouching
• extending
• beetling
• bagging
• stretching
• lengthening
• inflating
• distending
• expanding
• dilating
• doming
• mushrooming
• snowballing
• elongating
• blowing up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• contracting
• shrinking
• compressing
• condensing
• constricting

2

as in messing

to interest oneself in what is not one's concern

told him to stop poking into other people's business

Synonyms & Similar Words

• messing
• interfering
• snooping
• prying
• intervening
• intruding
• meddling
• nosing
• obtruding
• interloping
• intermeddling
• butting in
• invading
• mucking (about or around)
• fooling
• encroaching
• interceding
• fiddling
• playing
• interposing
• tampering
• trespassing
• infringing
• monkeying
• barging (in)
• chiseling (in)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoiding
• ignoring
• eschewing
• shunning
• neglecting
• disregarding
• overlooking

3

as in lingering

to move or act slowly

just poked around all morning and didn't accomplish much

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lingering
• dragging
• crawling
• delaying
• strolling
• creeping
• playing
• loitering
• shuffling
• diddling
• dawdling
• lagging
• falling behind
• moping
• stalling
• lollygagging
• hanging fire
• dropping behind
• lounging
• marking time
• tarrying
• dallying
• dillydallying
• idling
• taking one's time
• dragging one's feet
• staggering
• sauntering
• loafing
• shilly-shallying
• ambling
• lolling
• inching
• fiddling (around)
• puttering (around)
• hanging (around or out)
• trifling
• fooling around
• pottering (around)
• messing around
• monkeying (around)
• decelerating
• procrastinating
• plodding
• easing
• temporizing
• lumbering
• slowing (down or up)
• filibustering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• tearing
• running
• ripping
• rushing
• scurrying
• hurrying
• whirling
• whizzing
• dashing
• racing
• scooting
• speeding
• zipping
• darting
• bolting
• scudding
• whisking
• coursing
• hastening
• barreling
• scrambling
• careering
• rocketing
• humping
• hurtling
• running
• hustling
• stampeding
• trotting
• breezing
• bowling
• galloping
• jogging
• sprinting
• accelerating
• hotfooting (it)
• quickening
• speeding (up)
• overtaking
• outrunning
• catching up
• outpacing
• outstripping
• fast-forwarding

4

as in dragging

to move slowly

they were just poking along home

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dragging
• crawling
• creeping
• shuffling
• oozing
• inching
• slouching
• limping
• creaking (along)
• snailing
• nosing
• plodding
• trudging
• shambling
• tramping
• lumbering

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• flying
• racing
• floating
• speeding
• sailing
• whizzing
• gliding
• tearing
• zipping
• hurrying

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of poking

Verb

Instead, her dad looks under the table and sees a jumble of limbs with Chastain’s smiling face poking out at him. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 July 2026

This included one of their players poking a finger into the ear of the Belgian penalty-spot protector Diego Moreira, and responding to the reactionary elbow to the tummy by going down, and staying down, on top of the penalty mark. — Geir Jordet, New York Times, 15 July 2026

The pattern looks like the skin of a poisonous frog poking its head out from under its hiding place. — Jasmine Washington, InStyle, 15 July 2026

Ant hills aren’t just ugly mounds poking through your beautiful green yard. — Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026

The math moves without touching the money supply and poking inflation expectations. — Jason Phillips, USA Today, 10 July 2026

The surgeons used forceps to grab at a loop that was poking into view and then needed multiple tugs to gently slide out the rest. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026

Social media video showed snakes poking their heads above the muddy water inundating the village. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 7 July 2026

Randomly poking at the menu can reveal some interesting finds. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 7 July 2026