hinky

American  

[hing-kee] / ˈhɪŋ ki /

Or hinkey,

adjective

Slang.

hinkier, hinkiest

1. acting in a nervous or very cautious way.

2. suspicious.

   Whenever he agrees with me, you know something hinky is going on!

3. snobbish; haughty.

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Usage

What does hinky mean? Hinky is a slang term that most often means suspicious or dubious, as in I didn’t open that email because the subject line seemed hinky and it might have been spam. Hinky can be used to describe people’s actions as well as objects. If your sister who never agrees with you suddenly does, you might think her agreement is a little hinky. Hinky also means acting very cautious or nervous, as in Lester was so nervous about the big exam that he was acting all hinky, tapping his pencil against the desk and wriggling in his seat. Hinky can also mean snobbish or haughty, as in Miriam’s hinky way of talking to new students let them know she didn’t think much of them and wasn’t a nice person. Example: This is hinky — why would both of them be in the same place at the same time?

Etymology

Origin of hinky

First recorded in 1920–25; origin unknown

Example Sentences

It looked hinky, and on the back page, in fine print, I learned that the mail was from a lender unaffiliated with my mortgage company.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 23, 2024

That outcome, you know, it’s a little hinky, but the AP and Fox have done it.

From Slate • Sep. 18, 2024

And she overcame at least one very hinky relationship, with a debt-ridden Hollywood cameraman who may have faked his own death.

From Washington Post • Aug. 8, 2022

While we were “90 miles out of Atlanta,” as Mr. Berry sings, the hinky air-conditioning in the back of our crowded Greyhound was making everybody grumpy.

From New York Times • Sep. 11, 2017

If things got a bit hinky in the Middle Ages, then, they nevertheless kept memory front and center.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith