hunky

¹ American  

[huhng-kee] / ˈhʌŋ ki /

adjective

Slang.

1. satisfactory; well; all right.

2. even; leaving no balance.

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hunky ² American  

[huhng-kee] / ˈhʌŋ ki /

adjective

hunkier, hunkiest

1. Slang. (of a male) handsome and having well-developed physique.

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hunky ³ American  

[huhng-kee] / ˈhʌŋ ki /

Or hunkie

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

plural

hunkies

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a person of Hungarian or Slavic descent, especially an unskilled or semiskilled worker.

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Etymology

Origin of hunky¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; from obsolete New York City slang term hunk, used especially by boys at play for home base, home (the goal); from Dutch honk “post, station, base, home” + -y ¹ ( def. ); see also hunky-dory ( def. )

Origin of hunky²

First recorded in 1910–15; hunk + -y ¹

Origin of hunky³

First recorded in 1905–10; (bo)hunk ( def. ) + -y ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

He’s both movie-star hunky and action-star engrossing, flitting between these two deceptively binary ends without breaking a sweat.

From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026

One was the awestruck girl from the South discovering New York City for the first time, another was the hunky model, aspiring actor, and so on.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

At the end of the performance, the duo threw dozens of heart-shaped pillows into the audience, all containing the phrase "te amo", supposedly stitched by their hunky counterparts.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2025

Though Nan is not in the market for a husband, she will, on the strength of her unselfconscious exuberance, ready wit and obvious goodness attract the interest of not one but two hunky aristocrats.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2023

Instead of stepping back, the big hunky fellow sneered and said, “Thet with the string was jest a lucky shot. You cain’t do it agin.”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• attractive
• handsome
• well-built