hunky-dory
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of hunky-dory
1865–70; hunky 1 + dory < ?
Explanation
When things are hunky-dory, they're just fine. Once you've started your new job and rented a lovely apartment, you might feel that life in a new city is hunky-dory. The informal hunky-dory is perfect for those times when everything is great, going according to plan, or not bad at all. This American-coined adjective has been around since the 1860s, from the now-obsolete hunkey, "all right," which stems from the New York slang hunk, "in a safe position," and the Dutch root honk or "home." The origin of dory is unknown.
Vocabulary lists containing hunky-dory
A Good Kind of Trouble
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"How to Train a Guide Dog" and "The Wonder Dog"
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The Darkest Minds
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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.
Everybody thought we were lying - this place was all hunky dory.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2025
When it comes to matters between the Carolina Panthers wide receiver and his coaches, things appear to be far from hunky dory.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 16, 2022
Ms. Lang noted: “It’s not like everything will be hunky dory on April 1.”
From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2022
Not that everything between those two is hunky dory.
From Slate • Apr. 29, 2021
It will be all right and hunky dory.
From The Daughter of Anderson Crow by McCutcheon, George Barr
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.
