Dictionary

hunky dory en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• hŭng'kidôʹri (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˌhʌŋkiˈdɔːɹi/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

American English, 1860s. From hunky (“in good condition”, “safe and sound”) + dory (origin and meaning unknown).

Meanings

1. (informal) Satisfactory, fine.
   • Now that I’ve found my missing book, everything’s hunky-dory again.
   • But you seem to be feeling all hunky-dory again, and why don’t you come join us in the Good Citizens’ League, old man? 1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC:
   • “Francine!” “(gasps) Stan! You scared me.” “I scared you? You're scaring me. What are you doing here?” “I'm working.” “Working? You're acting crazy.” “This isn't crazy. Crazy is how I used to act, pretending everything was hunky-dory.” “Look, I don't want to do this here. It's time to go home!” “No, let go! I'm working!” “Hey, this guy bothering you, Fran?” “No. He was just leaving.” 2016 April 25, Sam Brenner, “Widow's Pique” (14:38 from the start), in American Dad!, season 13, episode 13, spoken by Francine Smith (Wendy Schaal):
   • “There’s always got to be a period of adjustment. You can’t expect everything to be hunky dory straight away. I don’t disagree with it [Brexit]^([sic]) but we need to get in charge and sweep out the political class.” 2023 May 28, James Tapper, quoting woman approaching middle age, “‘We should be closer to Europe’: Brexit regrets simmer in leave-voting Boston”, in The Observer, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Jun 2023:
   • “OK, it’s associated with a specific tumor type, but does that just mean that it’s living hunky-dory with the tumor, or is it actually causing the tumor to get bigger and progress?” Dr. Galloway-Peña asked. “You just don’t know at this point.” 2022 September 29, Carl Zimmer, “A New Approach to Spotting Tumors: Look for Their Microbes”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Dec 2022:
   • It was no easy job, I can tell you. We worked like beavers to get the cave the way we wanted it; but when it was done, it was what you may call hunky-dory. 1880 January 6, Mrs. Frank McCarthy, “How Aunt Pam Became a Smuggler”, in Harper's Young People:
   • But you just go on lovin' him, and leanin' on his judgement—he's no fool—and you'll be all hunky-dory. 1913 October, Jack London, The Valley of the Moon, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC:

Forms

Synonyms

fine · tickety-boo · alright · right as rain

Translations (1)

pl cacy (informal way to say satisfactory)