wonky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

ˈwäŋ-kē

ˈwȯŋ-

wonkier; wonkiest

Synonyms of wonky next

: characteristic of, relating to, or suggestive of a wonk: such as

: preoccupied with arcane details or procedures in a specialized field

She can get wonky about the economy when she wants to, but what sets her apart is her ability to tell a coherent, populist story about it in a way that other members of her party are either unwilling or unable to do.—

Rebecca Traister

: used by or appealing to wonks

… one of those politicians who actually find pleasure in the often-wonky details of public policy.—

John Powers

wonkiness noun

wonky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

won·ky ˈwäŋ-kē

wonkier; wonkiest

British : unsteady, shaky

chiefly British : awry, wrong

Examples of wonky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Adjective

There's a values element to it that probably is more engaging towards regular people, obviously than the wonkier aspects of it. —

Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 The doubters had something to talk about. Gauff could hit some of the hardest first serves on tour, but her iffy second serve and wonky forehand had never been a secret. —

Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025 Calgary also benefited from a pair of wonky bounces that bookended its scoring. —

Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 8 Jan. 2025 Could the Ravens find themselves in some wonky wild-card territory by dropping Saturday’s finale? —

Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for wonky

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (2)

probably alteration of English dialect wankle, from Middle English wankel, from Old English wancol; akin to Old High German wankōn to totter — more at wench

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1978, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of wonky was in 1918

See more words from the same year