kinky
Americanadjective
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full of kinks; closely twisted.
a kinky wire.
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(of hair) closely or tightly curled.
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Slang. marked by unconventional sexual preferences or behavior, as fetishism, sadomasochism, or the like.
adjective
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slang given to unusual, abnormal, or deviant sexual practices
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informal exhibiting unusual idiosyncrasies of personality; quirky; eccentric
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informal attractive or provocative in a bizarre way
kinky clothes
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tangled or tightly looped, as a wire or rope
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tightly curled, as hair
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of kinky
Explanation
Kinky is a word for unusual things: especially things that are sexually unusual. It's also a term for frizzy hair. As a general term, kinky can refer to anything that is far-out, quirky, or offbeat. More specifically, this is a sexual term for acts that are a little odd, such as a foot fetish. There's also kinky hair: hair with tight curls that is also called crisp, frizzy, and nappy. There's isn't any connection between kinky hair and the first two meanings of kinky. Words just mean different things, and no one knows exactly why.
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.
Kinky Boots, music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper, book by Harvey Fierstein.
From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2023
De Lesseps later told Page Six she was "drinking champagne" that night and went to The Townhouse with "Kinky Boots" producer Jim Kierstead.
From Fox News • Mar. 19, 2022
"I think audiences are drooling to get back to live entertainment," said Ken Davenport, producer of "Kinky Boots" and "Once on This Island."
From Reuters • Sep. 7, 2021
I said, “We love Kinky, so it breaks my heart to do this, but we can’t.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2020
Kinky hair is neither a disgraceful nor a shameful heredity.
From The Colored Girl Beautiful by Hackley, E. Azalia
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.
