wonky
1 Americanadjective
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(of a person) shaky, groggy, or unsteady.
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not exactly straight or balanced; off-kilter.
a wonky chair with an uneven leg.
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not working properly; faulty; unreliable.
Something went wonky with my computer.
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That's just odd logic and wonky reasoning.
adjective
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stupid; boring; unattractive.
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relating to, appealing to, or characteristic of a wonk; concerned with minute details of a topic or issue.
a wonky bureaucrat.
adjective
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shaky or unsteady
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not in correct alignment; askew
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liable to break down or develop a fault
Other Word Forms
- wonkiness noun
Etymology
Origin of wonky1
First recorded in 1915–20; perhaps variant of dialectal wanky, equivalent to wank(le) ( Middle English wankel, Old English wancol; wench ) + -y 1
Origin of wonky2
First recorded in 1975–80; wonk ( def. ) + -y 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Things that are wonky are a little bit crooked or wobbly — a table that isn't balanced right, a nose that's a bit out of place. Something that’s wonky isn’t necessarily broken; it’s just slightly “off.” Wonky can also describe something that isn't working correctly, such as an old TV set that shows only one channel, or maybe even your brain after you’ve just pulled an all-nighter. Important: Don't confuse wonky with wonk. A wonk is an extremely studious person, and usually wonks are very far from being wonky (except perhaps in terms of their social skills).
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.
But because he needed a ball-handler he could trust after the regular rotation got wonky in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
The idea sounds a bit wonky, but it’s been floated by other prominent leaders as well.
From MarketWatch • Nov. 20, 2025
Top players soon pointed out wonky flaws, such as how the measure could inadvertently hurt lower ranked players.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 5, 2025
When Jun recited an ancient Chinese poem in another instance, viewers criticised what they viewed as her wonky accent.
From BBC • Sep. 22, 2025
Even with its wonky wheel, it was faster than they were.
From "Raymie Nightingale" by Kate DiCamillo
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.
