plucky
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of plucky
Explanation
To be plucky is to show courage. Plucky people are often underdogs fighting against the odds, like a plucky kid who scares away a burglar or a plucky kitten who refuses to run away from a Great Dane. Pluck is courage or heart, so to be plucky is to have those qualities. This word describes brave people and actions, and it means about the same as feisty and spunky. It often applies to people who bravely struggle against powerful forces. A short person playing basketball is plucky. You can be plucky in fighting a terrible disease. Anyone who refuses to give up, no matter what, is plucky.
Vocabulary lists containing plucky
A Doll's House
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Dragonwings
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Lyddie
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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.
Deutch is perfect casting for plucky Gail, who commits to bagging Hamm with such gumption that she jumps on a hotel mattress like a little kid.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2026
What to watch out for: While Morocco's run to the last four in Qatar was a surprise, this side contending in the United States are much more than plucky underdogs.
From BBC • Jul. 8, 2026
What we got instead was plucky Cape Verde playing No. 3 Spain to a draw and becoming the smallest nation to reach the elimination rounds.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 28, 2026
They’re all here, and they have as much overconfident swagger as a plucky young star on the Disney Channel.
From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026
The Slow Club is playing, a band I like, all plucky and bittersweet and kind of offbeat.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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.
