dinky

American  

[ding-kee] / ˈdɪŋ ki /

adjective

dinkier, dinkiest

1. Informal. small, unimportant, unimpressive, or shabby.

   We stayed in a dinky old hotel.

2. British Informal. fashionable; well dressed; smart.

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noun

dinkies plural

1. dinkey.

dinky British  

/ ˈdɪŋkɪ /

adjective

1. small and neat; dainty

2. inconsequential; insignificant

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Etymology

Origin of dinky

1780–90; compare Scots dink neatly dressed, trim (of obscure origin); sense shift perhaps: trim > dainty > small > insignificant; see -y ¹

Explanation

Something that's dinky is very small or unimportant. A college freshmen might be shocked at how dinky her dorm room is. You might live in a dinky apartment or sit down to a child's tea party, sipping out of dinky, doll-sized tea cups. Dinky, meaning "tiny," is often used to complain about the smallness or insignificance of something: "All I get is this dinky slice of cake, after I helped you bake it?" Other meanings include a small metal model of a car and a little train car. It comes from the Scottish dink, "trim" or "neat."

Example Sentences

“People are expecting a really small, dinky, unprofessional show, and they get comedy gold,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

But in this reversal of fortune, he is the largest opponent, taking it upon himself to defend a dinky innocent from a herd of hunters dwarfed by his size but much larger than the cricket.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2026

Foy notes that he gets the biggest spuds he can source: “I don’t give out dinky potatoes,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

There will be dozens of other dinky parochial interests from individual members to tend to as well, but that’s standard.

From Slate • May 17, 2025

We were headed to a dinky town called Mecosta.

From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis