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Meaning of ”wonky”?


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AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgJune 2021
In addition, ”wonky” sometimes gets used in American English to describe someone - almost always negatively - when they are getting into what is regarded as too many specialised details about a topic. I’ve been seeing it used more often like this lately.

Also, it can be used in both British and American English to describe something that is deviating from being correct, but not completely wrong, or when travelling in an unexpected direction during a journey because of a turn or zigzag.
GiangHuongNguyen profile picture GiangHuongNguyenJune 2021
Wonky means : weak, unsasticfactory, or nor firm
For example: One of the legs on this chair is a bit wonky.
Vsevuskav profile picture VsevuskavJune 2021

I've always understood wonky as meaning not straight, like a less serious synonym of crooked.  So someone might wear a hat wonky* (meaning that the hat is being worn off to one side, and is not quite on properly) or have a wonky stick (meaning that it is bent, probably in multiple places).  Or if they're very dizzy and unable to walk in a straight line, you might say that they're walking wonkily.

* Technically that should be wear a hat wonkily, since wonky is an adjective, but in informal English (which is where you will most likely encounter this word) you shouldn't be surprised to find people using it as an adverb anyway.

  • AussieInBg profile picture AussieInBgJune 2021
    This is definitely a British (and Australian) English meaning.

    Americans tend to use this word differently.