dinky
dinky Lexical Profile
dinky Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
North American Disappointingly small, insignificant, or of little value; puny or paltry.
"We paid full price for a luxury suite, but the hotel put us in a dinky little room near the elevator."
British Attractively small and neat; dainty or cute.
"She bought a dinky little teapot at the vintage market that fits perfectly on her kitchen shelf."
• noun
North American A small locomotive, streetcar, or short shuttle train used in rail yards or on short branch lines.
"Every morning, commuters took the local dinky from the campus station to the main railway junction."
Australian A ride taken by a second person perched on the handlebars, crossbar, or rear carrier of a bicycle.
"Since my tire was flat, my brother gave me a dinky home from school on the back of his bike."
Word Nuance & Usage
In American English, 'dinky' is typically dismissive, meaning disappointingly small or insignificant, whereas in British English it is often affectionate, describing something attractively small, neat, or cute.
• Rhymes for dinky
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originating in the late 18th century from the Scottish dialect adjective 'dink' meaning neat, trim, or finely dressed, with the later sense of 'small' developing in the late 19th century.