kinky

[ king-kee ]

adjective

, kink·i·er, kink·i·est.

1. full of kinks; closely twisted:

   a kinky wire.

2. (of hair) closely or tightly curled.
3. Slang. marked by unconventional sexual preferences or behavior, as fetishism, sadomasochism, or the like.

kinky

/ ˈkɪŋkɪ /

adjective

1. slang.
   given to unusual, abnormal, or deviant sexual practices
2. informal.
   exhibiting unusual idiosyncrasies of personality; quirky; eccentric
3. informal.
   attractive or provocative in a bizarre way

   kinky clothes

4. tangled or tightly looped, as a wire or rope
5. tightly curled, as hair

Derived Forms

• ˈkinkily, adverb
• ˈkinkiness, noun

Other Words From

• kinki·ly adverb
• kinki·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of kinky¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; kink + -y ¹

Example Sentences

This tartly kinky effort is firmly in the subset of Eurosex cinema, a period in which foreign sensibilities allowed far greater liberties than the puritanical Hollywood of the day.

From New York Times

Splashy musicals, in particular, often come from recognizable cinematic sources: There’s “Mean Girls,” “Moulin Rouge,” “Kinky Boots” and many more.

From New York Times

On June 7, Fifi Dosch hosts “a kind of on the hush-hush” but “very trans, very kinky comedy show and art exhibit” at a secret Van Nuys locale dubbed the Greenhouse.

From Los Angeles Times

Webber was looking for exposure to promote his self-published memoir and to help him sell his sex capsules, such as Kinky Kong, which he said had the same ingredients as Viagra without the impurities.

From Seattle Times

She is an uber-dork with a fondness for spreadsheets, and Kurtz’s Cassandra is a daffy delight that recalls Annaleigh Ashford’s performance in “Kinky Boots.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• far-out
• outlandish
• peculiar
• quirky
• unconventional
• weird