ˈwäŋ-kē 
ˈwȯŋ-
wonkier; wonkiest
US
: characteristic of, relating to, or suggestive of a wonk: such as
a
: 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
Rebecca Traister
b
: used by or appealing to wonks
… one of those politicians who actually find pleasure in the often-wonky details of public policy.—John Powers
John Powers
wonkiness
noun
won·ky
ˈwäŋ-kē
wonkier; wonkiest
Examples of wonky in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2025
And the subscription isn’t really worth it—the AI was wonky, and the video clips are just 10 seconds long.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2025
Some of the balance is a little wonky As is the case for all games like this, there are a few systems that will need some post-launch refinement.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
No detail is too small for an excavation this wonky, not even design department head Leo Yoshimura pointing out that a certain lamp is slightly crooked.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wonky
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Adjective
Missing a period for two or more consecutive months could be a red flag that something else is causing your hormones to go wonky.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 31 Mar. 2025
And the subscription isn’t really worth it—the AI was wonky, and the video clips are just 10 seconds long.
—Louryn Strampe, WIRED, 22 Mar. 2025
Some of the balance is a little wonky As is the case for all games like this, there are a few systems that will need some post-launch refinement.
—Ars Technica, 3 Feb. 2025
No detail is too small for an excavation this wonky, not even design department head Leo Yoshimura pointing out that a certain lamp is slightly crooked.
—Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for wonky
Cite this Entry
“Wonky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonky. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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