dinkum
Americanadjective
adjective
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genuine or right
a dinkum bloke
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genuine or true: used to emphasize the truth of something or in asking for the truth of something to be confirmed
Back to the states? Fair dinkum?
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archaic the truth
Etymology
Origin of dinkum
First recorded in 1890–95; origin uncertain, possibly from Lincolnshire dialect dincum, dinkum “work, hard work,” extended to mean “doing one's fair share of work”
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.
Elsewhere, a noble is a fair dinkum, while the death of an important character is announced by "he's cactus".
From BBC ● Nov. 14, 2025
"I think that is very wrong and unfair and really sad. We're not racist people here, we're fair dinkum Australians. Everyone is equal."
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2023
“Scare dinkum – Aussies caught by the ghoulies at ‘haunted’ hotel,” squealed a predictably-restrained back-page headline in the Sun after the 2005 incident.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 21, 2014
Fair dinkum to you chaps, it's the only chance you've had to use that combination of words all winter.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 9, 2011
It took us an hour's hard dinkum to get near the peak.
From Robbery under Arms; a story of life and adventure in the bush and in the Australian goldfields by Rolf Boldrewood
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
