hooky

or hook·ey

[ hook-ee ]

/ ˈhʊk i /

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See synonyms for: hooky / hookier / hookiest on Thesaurus.com

noun

unjustifiable absence from school, work, etc. (usually used in the phrase play hooky): On the first warm spring day the boys played hooky to go fishing.

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Origin of hooky

1840–50, Americanism; perhaps alteration of phrase hook it escape, make off

Words nearby hooky

hooktender, hook-tip, hookup, hookworm, hookworm disease, hooky, hooley, hoolie, hooligan, hooly, hoon

Other definitions for hooky (2 of 2)

hooky²

[ hook-ee ]

/ ˈhʊk i /

adjective, hook·i·er, hook·i·est.

full of hooks.

hook-shaped.

Origin of hooky

First recorded in 1545–55; hook¹ + -y¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hooky in a sentence

Stand up and pivot your turns in bumps and crud, though, and the M6 feels like you’re on a longer radius ski, meaning it remains plenty agile without feeling hooky.
Runners-Up Review: The All-Mountain Skis That Almost Made Our 2022 Winter Buyer’s Guide|agintzler|December 17, 2021|Outside Online
When she and Isaiah started fighting, she rebelled by playing hooky.
“They Took Us Away From Each Other”: Lost Inside America’s Shadow Foster System|by Lizzie Presser, photography by Elinor Carucci for The New York Times|December 1, 2021|ProPublica
The Pure favors high speeds in wide-open terrain, with a long turn radius underfoot that yields predictability in weird backcountry snow where too much sidecut gets hooky.
The Best New Skis for Powder, Groomers, and the Backcountry|jversteegh|October 26, 2021|Outside Online
That hourglass shape delivers the carving sensation on groomers but can make skis hooky and unpredictable in unconsolidated backcountry snow, especially when a crust forms.
Long-Term Review: The Best Skis, Period|Heather Schultz and Marc Peruzzi|March 4, 2021|Outside Online

If any of the major players play hooky, then we all will suffer.
The Climate Crisis Is Happening Right Now. Just Look at California’s Weekend.|by Elizabeth Weil|September 9, 2020|ProPublica
I joined the ranks of experts and students playing session-hooky in the hallways.
Longtime Sufferers of Cluster Headaches Find Relief in Psychedelics|Valerie Vande Panne|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They even tacked an extra day onto the jaunt, playing hooky that Tuesday.
After 44 Years Apart, Mother and Daughter Reunited by Facebook|Nina Strochlic|May 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Many American kids are returning to the classroom today after a summer playing hooky.
Best ‘First Day of School’ Movies||September 5, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Hooky indicates an inability to create stories that take place in and around school and, therefore, a dearth of inspiration.
Gossip Girl Deathwatch|Caitlin Shure|February 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I think there comes a time, in creative work, for playing hooky.
Jane Journeys On|Ruth Comfort Mitchell
Wish I could make up my mind, he said, like a boy in some doubt how he can best put in his time when he plays hooky.
Nothing But the Truth|Frederic S. Isham
His coal-black, glossy hair commanded and obtained her admiration, and she found his hooky nose to be handsome.
The Eustace Diamonds|Anthony Trollope
That he naturally despised the articles of such a soulless faith was evident in his constant inclination to play hooky.
The Place of Honeymoons|Harold MacGrath
It wasnt the usual playing hooky from school case that the judge was taking up now.
Joan of the Journal|Helen Diehl Olds

British Dictionary definitions for hooky

hooky

hookey

/ (ˈhʊkɪ) /

noun

informal, mainly US, Canadian and NZ truancy, usually from school (esp in the phrase play hooky)

Word Origin for hooky

C20: perhaps from hook it to escape

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 Idioms and Phrases with hooky

hooky

see play hooky.

hooky

or hook·ey

Origin of hooky

Words nearby hooky

Other definitions for hooky (2 of 2)

Origin of hooky

Words related to hooky

How to use hooky in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hooky

hookey

Word Origin for hooky

Other Idioms and Phrases with hooky