Wonky
Meaning: British slang meaning crooked, unsteady, or not working properly.
'Wonky' means crooked, unsteady, or malfunctioning. A wonky table wobbles, wonky teeth are crooked, a wonky machine doesn't work right. Very British, informal term.
Examples
- This table is wonky. 那幅画挂歪了——把它扶正Ese cuadro está torcido, enderézaloあの絵が曲がっている——まっすぐにして이 테이블이 흔들거려.
- My knee's gone wonky. 我的网络一整天都不正常Mi internet ha ido fatal todo el día一日中インターネットの調子が悪い무릎이 이상해졌어.
- The TV's gone wonky. 桌腿有点不稳La pata de la mesa está un poco cojaテーブルの脚がちょっとぐらつくTV가 고장 났어.
Pronunciation
/ˈwɒŋki/
Usage Guide
Context: description, criticism
Tone: casual, mild criticism
✓ Do Say
- British for crooked/broken英式俚语,意为歪的/坏了的Término británico para torcido/estropeadoイギリス英語で「曲がった/壊れた」の意味영국 속어로 '비뚤어진/고장 난'이라는 뜻
✗ Don't Say
- Not rude—just informal非常常见的英式非正式用语Expresión informal británica muy común非常に一般的なイギリスのくだけた表現무례하지 않음——그냥 비격식적 표현
Common Mistakes
- Not actually rude—just slang for crooked
Origin & History
Origin uncertain—possibly from 'wank' (Old English for unstable) or imitative of wobbling. British slang for anything crooked or not working properly.
Etymology: Origin uncertain, possibly imitative
First recorded: Early 20th century
Cultural Context
Era: 20th century
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Pop culture: British TV
Regional notes: British primarily.
Variations
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