Meanings
dinky1
comparative dinkier · superlative dinkiest
- UKinformalTiny and cute; small and attractive.
How do you like my hat? That one you had on in church yesterday was real dinky.
1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, “chapter 11”, in Anne of the Island3 more examples
Rather should it be said that these ladies wore dress of military style, since there was nothing uniform about their outfits, one being in powder-blue with silver buttons and a forage-cap, the other in tan with gold buttons and the dinkiest of red-peaked kepis.
1961, Xavier Herbert, Soldiers' Women, Netley, SA: Fontana Books, published 1978, page 88I played in the dirt with a small dinky car as the garage held no fascination for a little girl of five.
2010, Sharon Wallace, A House Full of Whispers, page 5“Ooh, well, he is a particularly pretty one. Look at his dinky little nose,” said Raj with a sweet smile.
2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN - USinformalTiny and insignificant; small and undesirable.
They stayed in a dinky hotel room, but they had a great trip.
dinky2
plural dinkies
- slangA person in a relationship with a double income and no kids.
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivesmall and unimpressive
adjective(British informal) pretty and neat
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
dinky · adjective, noun
1780-90; compare Scots dink (“neatly dressed, trim”) (of obscure origin); sense shift perhaps: trim > dainty > small > insignificant; + -y.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian изящен, дребен
- изящен (izjašten)(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- дребен (dreben)(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
- незначителен (neznačitelen)(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
Czech hezoučký, miloučký
- hezoučký(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- miloučký(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- mrňavý(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
- maličký(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
- nicotný(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
French mignon, croquignolet
- mignon(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- croquignolet(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- croquignolet(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
German schnuckelig, niedlich
- schnuckelig(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- niedlich(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- klein und schäbig(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
- klein und mies(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
Polish malutki, lichy
- malutki(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- lichy(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
Russian изящный, невзрачный
- изящный (izjaščnyj)(informal, British) Tiny and cute; small and charmful
- невзрачный (nevzračnyj)(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
Spanish minúsculo
- minúsculo(informal, US) Tiny and insignificant; small and undesirable
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with dinky
Cite this entry
dinky. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dinky
“dinky.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dinky. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dinky,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dinky.
Source: dinky on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.