ENGLISH
REFERENCE

wonky

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate UK //wˈɒnki// wonky Informal

adj. describing something that is slightly broken, not working perfectly, or not looking straight. You use this when a piece of technology or a physical object is a bit off but still mostly functional.

adj. slightly damaged, malfunctioning, or not perfectly aligned. Often used to describe hardware or software that is functional but exhibits minor defects or aesthetic imperfections.


SIMPLE

The old monitor is a bit wonky, but it still works.

CONTEXTUAL

I tried to fix the wonky keyboard myself, but it turned out the entire case was cracked.

COMPLEX

While the software is generally stable, the user interface remains somewhat wonky on older hardware, causing occasional lag during high-resolution rendering tasks.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From English dialectal wanky, alteration of Middle English wankel (“unstable, shaky”), from Old English wancol (“unstable”), from Proto-West Germanic *wankul (“swaying, shaky, unstable”).

Etymology 2

From wonk + -y.

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