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

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

The fun part of this recipe is poking holes in the cake and then spooning in the blueberry and strawberry fillings alternately to create the red, white, and blue effect. — Brennan Long, Southern Living, 3 July 2026

Lena Dunham was spotted poking her head out of a backseat window and chatting with someone redirecting traffic, while her ex, a suited Jack Antonoff, and his sister, fashion designer Rachel Antonoff, were also seen walking up to MSG. — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2026

The challenge here is to balance our genuine intellectual courage versus the sheer thrill of poking the bear just to provoke a response. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026