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
Bill McKibben, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, Richmond's last two mayoral elections, in 2020 and 2016, weren't called until Wednesday evening — the day after the election — in part due to absentee ballots and the city's wonky version of an Electoral College, according to media reports at the time.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Not surprisingly, there were many similarities: an urban heat island — which has raised temperatures there more than here — wonky air conditioners, cooling centers.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Twists do, indeed, play a huge part in Survivor, especially this wild and wonky new era.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wonky 
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
Climate change is in some ways a math problem, and Jesse Jenkins is among the wonkiest and most effective of the number crunchers trying to work out a solution.
—Bill McKibben, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024
Meanwhile, Richmond's last two mayoral elections, in 2020 and 2016, weren't called until Wednesday evening — the day after the election — in part due to absentee ballots and the city's wonky version of an Electoral College, according to media reports at the time.
—Erin Doherty, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
Not surprisingly, there were many similarities: an urban heat island — which has raised temperatures there more than here — wonky air conditioners, cooling centers.
—Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 4 Nov. 2024
Twists do, indeed, play a huge part in Survivor, especially this wild and wonky new era.
—Nick Caruso, TVLine, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for wonky
Dictionary Entries Near wonky
Cite this Entry
“Wonky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonky. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share