poky

[poh-kee]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR poky ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, pok·i·er, pok·i·est. Informal.

puttering; slow; dull: poky drivers.

(of a place) small and cramped: a poky little room.

(of dress) dowdy.

noun, plural pok·ies.

Slang. a jail: They put him in the poky for carrying a concealed weapon.

RELATED WORDS

small, confined, shabby

Nearby words

Origin of poky

First recorded in 1840–50; poke¹ + -y¹

Related formspok·i·ly, adverbpok·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for poky

“Come on,” she urged the poky car as it struggled up the slope.
Running for Her Life|Stephen L. Carter|July 14, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Why,” cried Miss Jemima, “I hope we are not to go on living in this poky little place!
The Golden Shoemaker|J. W. Keyworth
We used to have a house, of course, before uncle died, and you know how poky rooms seem after that.
In Accordance with the Evidence|Oliver Onions
He lives in a poky house in a suburb, and works harder than anyone I know.
The Silent Isle|Arthur Christopher Benson

But we couldn't have gone on living in that other poky little hole, William.
The Garden Party|Katherine Mansfield
They walked in silence to The House by the River and in silence entered the poky little hall.
The House by the River|A. P. Herbert

British Dictionary definitions for poky

poky

pokey

adjective pokier or pokiest

informal (esp of rooms) small and cramped

without speed or energy; slow

noun

the poky mainly US and Canadian slang prison

Derived Formspokily, adverbpokiness, noun

Word Origin for poky

C19: from poke 1 (in slang sense: to confine)

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

Word Origin and History for poky

poky

adj.

also pokey, 1828, "confined, pinched, shabby," later (1856) "slow, dull;" from varied senses of poke (v.) + -y (2). Also cf. poke (n.3). Related: Pokily; pokiness.