Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

wonky

/ˈwɒŋ.kɪ/ adjective

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wonky at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Turned or twisted toward one side.
a...youth with a gorgeous red necktie all awry
Inclined to shake as from weakness or defect.
a rickety table

Origin

From English dialectal wanky, alteration of Middle English wankel (“unstable, shaky”), from Old English wancol (“unstable”), from Proto-West Germanic *wankul (“swaying, shaky, unstable”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word