janky

[ jang-kee ]

adjective

, Slang.

1. inferior in quality:

   a low-budget janky recording.

2. not working or operating properly: the game's janky interface.

   a janky old car;

   the game's janky interface.

3. untrustworthy; disreputable:

   He's a good guy but has some weird and janky friends.

4. undesirable; dilapidated or run-down:

   He's from the janky part of town where there was a shooting the other night.

Word History and Origins

Origin of janky¹

First recorded in 1990–95; origin uncertain; perhaps a regional or affected pronunciation of junky ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Unlike the standard dish, with its separate components looking all janky and out of sorts on the same plate, this handheld bite seamlessly integrates the pair.

From Washington Post

What was once the domain of janky site-theming browser extensions can now be enabled right from the Google home page.

From Ars Technica

Notoriously janky unemployment websites were crushed under the weight of massive job loss.

From MIT Technology Review

Keeping virtual, projected desktops sharp and detailed but not shaky or janky seems like quite a feat.

From Fortune

Microsoft is calling this a "productivity" device thanks to it having the side-by-side app capability of a tablet-style foldable smartphone without any of the janky display technology.

From Ars Technica