ducky

¹ American  

[duhk-ee] / ˈdʌk i /

adjective

Informal.

duckier, duckiest

1. fine; excellent; wonderful.

   Chocolate cake for dinner because it's my birthday? What a ducky idea!

2. darling; charming; cute.

   She was entranced by the ducky little puppy.

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ducky ² American  

[duhk-ee] / ˈdʌk i /

noun

British Informal.

• duckies
  plural

1. dear; sweetheart; darling; pet (used as a term of endearment or familiarity).

   Get a wiggle on, ducky, or we'll be late for the movie.

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ducky British  

/ ˈdʌkɪ /

noun

1. darling or dear: used as a term of endearment among women, but now often used in imitation of the supposed usage of homosexual men

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adjective

1. delightful; fine

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• duckies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of ducky¹

First recorded in 1810–20; duck ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of ducky²

First recorded in 1530–40; duck ¹ + -y ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ducky duckies duckiest

From the bathroom, I pulled out a ceramic planter and a mini rubber ducky.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026

The event brought together dozens of families from across the country for an awareness walk, an auction and a rubber ducky race in a nearby creek.

From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2025

The laptop is amazing, and I love the rubber ducky.

From The Verge ● Jul. 25, 2022

The rubber ducky was removed from the harbor sometime Saturday, likely because of concerns about Tropical Storm Henri, Belfast Harbor Master Katherine Given was quoted as saying in the Bangor Daily News.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 24, 2021

A few others were making ducky and doggie shadow puppets against the wall.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

A Stormtrooper action figure, a racing Sonic the Hedgehog, Legos and rubber duckies.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 17, 2023

The elder Zia combined blue and pink duckies with a lamp shade, or a carousel with a music box, both items sporting cups for holding blooms.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2023

In the Toys “R” Us case, dozens of suppliers of scooters, rubber duckies and teething rings could lose millions in the bankruptcy.

From New York Times ● Nov. 14, 2017

I bumped into a cardboard cutout of the billionaire businessman at Gorat’s steakhouse and counted several rubber duckies wearing his signature spectacles at Hollywood Candy.

From Washington Post ● Jun. 7, 2017

I sang through All the little duckies in my head.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

The duckiest thing—I never saw anything so perfectly dandy and wonderful!

From The Avalanche by Gertrude Franklin Horn Atherton

It's the duckiest, darlingest Ouija board, and so cheap!

From Humorous Ghost Stories by Dorothy Scarborough

The next time I get an invitation, I'm going as a Quaker maiden, in a gray dress and the duckiest little white cap.

From A Popular Schoolgirl by Balliol Salmon

"You have the duckiest shoulder blades," said Ruth.

From The Innocent Adventuress by Mary Hastings Bradley

Anyhow," Carrissima continued quite humbly, "I went to Donaldson's—Phoebe, I saw the duckiest little opal brooch.

From Enter Bridget by Thomas Cobb

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