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Synonyms

balky

American  
[baw-kee] / ˈbɔ ki /

adjective

balkier, balkiest

  1. given to balking; stubborn; obstinate.

    a balky mule.
    Synonyms:
    pigheaded, mulish, headstrong, perverse, contrary
balky British  
/ ˈbɔːkɪ, ˈbɔːlkɪ /

adjective

  1. inclined to stop abruptly and unexpectedly

    a balky horse
"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

Other Word Forms

  • balkily adverb
  • balkiness noun

Etymology

Origin of balky

First recorded in 1840–50; balk + -y 1

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.

Maintaining and fixing a balky machine teaches necessary humility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

There’s an argument to be made that the feds could believe they have a balky case and want to bloody up Adams in the public eye ahead of a trial.

From Slate • Sep. 12, 2024

During individual drills, he rolled out and threw passes with no outward sign of a balky hamstring.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2024

Miles said his balky back no longer allows him to shoot, and it’s also kept him away from Seattle U games, which he attended regularly before the pandemic.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024

They draped these over the balky apparatus and localized the radiation source to Kamen’s fly, which evidently had collected a heavy burden of waste radio-phosphorus from Kamen’s work for John Lawrence.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

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.