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Synonyms

hunky-dory

American  
[huhng-kee-dawr-ee, -dohr-ee] / ˈhʌŋ kiˈdɔr i, -ˈdoʊr i /

adjective

Slang.

  1. about as well as one could wish or expect; satisfactory; fine; OK.

hunky-dory British  
/ ˌhʌŋkɪˈdɔːrɪ /

adjective

  1. informal very satisfactory; fine

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of hunky-dory

1865–70; hunky 1 + dory < ?

Explanation

When things are hunky-dory, they're just fine. Once you've started your new job and rented a lovely apartment, you might feel that life in a new city is hunky-dory. The informal hunky-dory is perfect for those times when everything is great, going according to plan, or not bad at all. This American-coined adjective has been around since the 1860s, from the now-obsolete hunkey, "all right," which stems from the New York slang hunk, "in a safe position," and the Dutch root honk or "home." The origin of dory is unknown.

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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.