hinky

adjective

hin·​ky ˈhiŋ-kē How to pronounce hinky (audio)
hinkier; hinkiest
1
slang : nervous, jittery
2
slang : suspicious

Examples of hinky in a Sentence

the cop was feeling hinky about the whole situation and was starting to think that it was a setup after noticing that the driver seemed hinky, the border guard demanded that he submit to an inspection of his vehicle
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.
Even with such an expansion afoot, odd missteps, hinky plotholes, and confounding questions still abound. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Nov. 2024 These sorts of trust schemes have been around a long time and are known by a variety of hinky names such as the constitutional equity pure trust or a pure trust organization. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024 Well, that's the question that some people will ask is: Why didn't someone just throw a hinky vote at someone? EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023 Lumber prices have shot up again in a rise reminiscent of a year ago, when high-climbing wood prices warned of the hinky supply lines and broad inflation to come. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 19 Dec. 2021 Some of these outcasts — like the would-be killer of Ronald Reagan, John Hinckley (a hinky looking Adam Chanler-Berat) — are all too familiar. Marilyn Stasio, Variety, 14 Nov. 2021 Certainly, there was no shortage of hinky transactions precipitated by the debtors who were intent on protecting their residence as long as possible. Jay Adkisson, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2021 The scene at the small, Northeast Hancock Street house was hinky. oregonlive, 3 May 2021 To him, the statistics in the Lancet paper looked hinky. Adam Rogers, Wired, 11 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

alteration of argot hincty suspicious

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hinky was in 1956

Dictionary Entries Near hinky

Cite this Entry

“Hinky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hinky. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!