tinny

American  

[tin-ee] / ˈtɪn i /

adjective

tinnier, tinniest

1. of or like tin.

2. containing tin.

3. lacking in timbre or resonance; sounding thin or twangy.

   a tinny piano.

4. not strong or durable; flimsy; shoddy.

5. having the taste of tin.

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tinny British  

/ ˈtɪnɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling tin

2. cheap, badly made, or shoddy

3. (of a sound) high, thin, and metallic

4. (of food or drink) flavoured with metal, as from a container

5. informal lucky

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noun

1. slang a can of beer

2. Also: tinnie.  informal a small fishing or pleasure boat with an aluminium hull

Other Word Forms

• tinnily adverb
• tinniness noun

Etymology

Origin of tinny

First recorded in 1545–55; tin + -y ¹

Explanation

If something is tinny, it sounds weak and a little metallic. Music played on an old-fashioned transistor radio would sound tinny compared to a fancy new stereo. Tinny sounds are vaguely unpleasant, and tinny objects are poorly constructed, of cheap metal. You'll have more fun cooking in a heavy cast iron skillet than a thin, tinny pan. You could say that tinny things either sound like tin being struck with a spoon or appear to be made from tin. And if something tastes tinny, you can detect a metallic flavor in it.

Example Sentences

Timo Kurkikangas’s sound design could use some tweaks—the spoken text was sometimes tinny or drowned out by the orchestra.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

The first sounds of the morning came from the tinny speaker playing hip-hop and reggaeton, and the crash of pine trees falling on the blacktop.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2026

Nearly all televisions have small, tinny speakers that make it difficult to hear dialogue, especially for some of us older folk.

From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025

That’s in here too, of course, but it sounds tinny.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2024

Moss could hear the tinny sound of Janelle Monáe as he removed his own earbud.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Related Words

• golden
• silvery