adjective / noun

dinky

DING-kee/ˈdɪŋki/

Unusually small in size.

The dinky desk fan looks tiny beside the ordinary ceramic mug.

A tiny, flimsy desk fan beside a normal-sized plain ceramic mug: its narrow plastic stand, small blades, and slightly crooked grille make it look cheap and unimpressive.

Etymology

Dink meant finely dressed or trim, and dinky first covered neatness, daintiness, and smallness. Smallness became the central idea and can carry the dismissive suggestion of something unimpressive or cheaply made.

In context

Jeff Starr's Not Bad: Films9:41

a little dinky car so I could zip around and and and and park in small places in San Francisco

5 things to know about Harmonium | Interviewing Mike Cohen from Kirtan Leader

More examples

This dinky umbrella leaves my backpack soaking wet.
She keeps a dinky vase on her desk.
A dinky pulls two railcars through the factory yard.

Forms

dinky · dinkier · dinkiest · dinkies

Similar words

tiny: Describes very small size without necessarily suggesting inadequacy.
puny: Suggests small size combined with weakness or poor quality.
miniature: Describes something made much smaller than its usual size.