wonky
1 Americanadjective
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(of a person) shaky, groggy, or unsteady.
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not exactly straight or balanced; off-kilter.
a wonky chair with an uneven leg.
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not working properly; faulty; unreliable.
Something went wonky with my computer.
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That's just odd logic and wonky reasoning.
adjective
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stupid; boring; unattractive.
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relating to, appealing to, or characteristic of a wonk; concerned with minute details of a topic or issue.
a wonky bureaucrat.
adjective
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shaky or unsteady
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not in correct alignment; askew
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liable to break down or develop a fault
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of wonky1
First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol; see wench) + -y 1
Origin of wonky2
First recorded in 1975–80; wonk ( def. ) + -y 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Things that are wonky are a little bit crooked or wobbly — a table that isn't balanced right, a nose that's a bit out of place. Something that’s wonky isn’t necessarily broken; it’s just slightly “off.” Wonky can also describe something that isn't working correctly, such as an old TV set that shows only one channel, or maybe even your brain after you’ve just pulled an all-nighter. Important: Don't confuse wonky with wonk. A wonk is an extremely studious person, and usually wonks are very far from being wonky (except perhaps in terms of their social skills).
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In normal times, in a normal Federal Communications Commission, Anna M. Gomez’s job might be described as wonky.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
Sorting through wonky government websites in a moment of crisis is not a pleasant undertaking, so it’s best to begin exploring options before the end approaches, if you can.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026
I called it “wonky step” at the time because it was just really wonky and repetitive.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026
When it was founded in 1987, its creators envisioned a wonky gathering of academics to swap ideas about how brains and machines learn.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
"The old brain's getting wonky these days. Sorry, son."
From "Ghost" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
