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

At first glance, corals present as little more than colorful rocks — piles of lobes, stalagmites, and branches poking out from the seafloor. — Marlowe Starling, Quanta Magazine, 5 Aug. 2026

Carpenter suggests applying it to vertical surfaces, or using soaked cotton balls in open glass jars (or poking holes in the lids to allow the fumes to escape). — The Spruce, 4 Aug. 2026

But in reality, as scientists started poking large enough collections of data, there were regular hints of some strange ancestry in our genomes. — ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026

On the scale of poking the bear, mocking Buc-ees in defense of other regional convenience store chains is low risk. — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026

We were probably doomed to have a good portion of the population poking whatever holes there were to find in James’ decision. — Dan Woike, New York Times, 31 July 2026

The family dog, named by local media as Rocky, was found alive after one of the rescuers spotted his tail poking out of the rubble. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 July 2026

On that day, Simpson and other players are accused of kicking and stomping the victim and again poking him with a broomstick. — Joe Brandt, CBS News, 29 July 2026

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