Meaning & use
hinky
Last updated
Informal: suspicious, dishonest, or making one uneasy; also nervous or jumpy.
See it in a sentence
Something about his story felt hinky, so the detective asked more questions.
The witness got hinky the moment the lawyer mentioned the security footage.
A note on using this word
Hinky is American slang, common in crime writing and police jargon, and is rarely used in formal writing.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hinky”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.