dinky

[ ding-kee ]

adjective

, dink·i·er, dink·i·est.

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

   We stayed in a dinky old hotel.

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

noun

, plural dink·ies.

1. dinkey.

dinky

/ ˈdɪŋkɪ /

adjective

1. small and neat; dainty
2. inconsequential; insignificant

Word History and Origins

Origin of dinky¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of dinky¹

C18 (in the sense: dainty): from dink

Example Sentences

So, I ordered a dinky little $26 cubicle heater that switches between 100 and 250 watts of draw.

From Outside Online

It’s equipped with two rotating scrub pads that are more powerful than me and my dinky old mop could ever be.

From The Daily Beast

Even if you’re using the dinky camera on your laptop, the right lighting setup will make you look a lot better.

From Time

You think that this tragedy has given you an opportunity to catapult you [sic] dinky blog and newspaper to new heights.

From The Daily Beast

We don't even have real big prizes—just a dinky little spoon sitting up on the mantel-piece to excite us as if it was a tiara.

From Project Gutenberg

I'm a good enough Yank to see if your dinky police is such an all-fired cute little bunch of wonder-workers as you say!

From Project Gutenberg

I guess its free cruising ground for anybody who can afford to own a steam yacht, or even a common little dinky motorboat.

From Project Gutenberg

What fun is it to walk down into that dinky little village keeping step like convicts?

From Project Gutenberg

But I figured out: there's camp-meetin's an' socials up there, an' a nice, dinky, white shirt once in a way goes pretty good.

From Project Gutenberg