adjective
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informal (esp of rooms) small and cramped
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without speed or energy; slow
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of poky
Explanation
Someone who moves very slowly is poky. When you try to take your poky dog on a jog, she'll stop to sniff every bush and blade of grass along the way. Wasting time, dawdling, or being annoying and boring are all ways to get called poky: "I need a new computer — my poky old laptop takes forever to do anything." In Britain this adjective is sometimes used in a completely opposite way, to mean "speedy" or "quick to accelerate": "Her car is much more poky than it looks!"
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.
I should note that, at the time of writing, The Poky Little Puppy has 322 five-star reviews on Amazon.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2015
Millions of people enjoyed The Poky Little Puppy as children, because it was cheap and because, being children, they had no standards.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2015
For kids who are already growing up too fast: The Poky Little Puppy by Janette Sebring Lowrey.
From Time • Jun. 24, 2014
The scoreboard replaces the Poky Little Puppy Football Facts Flashcards from which Romo previously learned game management.
From New York Times • Oct. 14, 2011
During my day at Poky I spent a few hours with Dr. Mel Metzin, the staff veterinarian.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
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.
