wonky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

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

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

wonkiness noun

wonky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

won·​ky ˈwäŋ-kē 

wonkier; wonkiest

1

British : unsteady, shaky

2

chiefly British : awry, wrong

Examples of wonky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

It’s now been 21 months since the May 2023 surgery, which was the fourth procedure Landeskog has had to try and fix his wonky knee. —Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 15 Feb. 2025

There were, however, some wonky editing choices, like integrating Mary Cosby into the season by filming scene after scene of her in her walk-in closet. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 29 Jan. 2025

Normally, if an actor has 55 pages of dialogue in a film while his female counterpart has only three, there's clearly a wonky gender dynamic at play. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 28 Jan. 2025

To prevent this mishap, Glenn suggests checking your door swing radius and any architectural features, like vents, wonky walls, and uneven floorboards, that may cause an issue later on. —Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Jan. 2025

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