tinny

[ tin-ee ]

adjective

, tin·ni·er, tin·ni·est.

1. of or like tin.
2. containing tin.
3. lacking in timbre or resonance; sounding thin or twangy:

   a tinny piano.

4. not strong or durable; flimsy; shoddy.
5. having the taste of tin.

tinny

/ ˈtɪnɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling tin
2. cheap, badly made, or shoddy
3. (of a sound) high, thin, and metallic
4. (of food or drink) flavoured with metal, as from a container
5. informal.
   lucky

noun

1. slang.
   a can of beer
2. informal.
   Alsotinnie a small fishing or pleasure boat with an aluminium hull

Derived Forms

• ˈtinniness, noun
• ˈtinnily, adverb

Other Words From

• tinni·ly adverb
• tinni·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tinny¹

First recorded in 1545–55; tin + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Then he makes this film that looks tinny, like bad TV.

From Salon

Beeping horns from the busy street outside — some of them coming from sleek black Uber vehicles emblazoned with the Berlinale logo — blended with the street scenes from “Taxi Driver” playing on the tinny television speakers.

From New York Times

This is most evident on the sleepy “Crusader,” an ostensible rebuttal to recent moral panic that lacks — in large part because of its tinny percussion — urgency and bite.

From New York Times

In the composition I was most excited about, I badly misjudged an important combination of instruments: A passage meant to sound sleekly metallic was merely tinny.

From New York Times

“I'm a Minder Model 6800. The best there is,” the tinny voice answered.

From Literature

Related Words

• golden
• silvery