dinky

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: overly or unattractively small

drives a dinky little car

also, British : attractively small : cute

Synonyms

• bantam
• diminutive
• dwarfish
• fine
• half-pint
• Lilliputian
• little
• pint-size
• pint-sized
• pocket
• pocket-size
• pocket-sized
• puny
• pygmy
• shrimpy
• slight
• small
• smallish
• subnormal
• toylike
• undersized
• undersize

Examples of dinky in a Sentence

I used to drive a dinky little car.

recent college graduates crowding into a dinky New York City apartment

Recent Examples on the Web

And for some reason, although the Boston mob in Quebec is making collections only from dinky farmers and owners of local businesses, Mike has no connection at all to the only financially flush organization in the province. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024

Ditch your dinky pots and pans and check out the selection of cast iron or nonstick cookware that can stand the test of time. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 2 Dec. 2024

The path leads to Saint Paul de Vence's dinky cemetery, the final resting place of the Maeghts, Chagall, and French actor Georges Géret. —Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024

Cordless vacuums are notorious for having dinky batteries that die after a few minutes of cleaning, but one that wowed us with its lasting power is on sale at Amazon today. —Clint Davis, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Scots dink neat

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

dinky

adjective

din·​ky ˈdiŋ-kē 

dinkier; dinkiest

: very small and unimpressive

a dinky room