Dictionary

janky en · ADJ · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋ.ki/ (Canada, US)
• [ˈd͡ʒɛ̃ŋ.kʰɪi̯] (Canada, US)
• /ˈd͡ʒæŋ.kiː/ without æ-raising
• [ˈd͡ʒæŋ.kʰɪi̯] without æ-raising
• [ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋ.kʰɪi̯] ~ /ˈd͡ʒɛ̃ŋ.ki/ (Canada, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From junky.

Meanings

1. (informal, slang) Of poor quality.
   • It's barely holding together, it's so janky.
2. (slang) Strange, odd.
   • “And look, they don't even call them cigarettes. They call them fun tubes.” “Well, I guess,” said Hillary. “Talk about a janky role model. Candy cigarettes.” 2006, Sarah Ellis, Odd Man Out, Toronto: Groundwood Books, →ISBN, page 97:
   • We're gonna do some janky shit. When you're doin' janky shit, you wear a mask. 2014 August 7, Smokin', Drinkin', and Chillin' (Black Jesus), episode 1, spoken by Maggie (Kali Hawk):
3. (qualifier:African-American Vernacular, slang) Untrustworthy, disreputable.
   • Janky promoters trying to fuck up my lil' image / They fucked us over, only way you get the picture 2017, “Knew Boosie”, in Money Changes Everything, performed by 03 Greedo:

Forms

Deriveds

jankiness · jankily

janky en · ADJ · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋ.ki/ (Canada, US)
• [ˈd͡ʒɛ̃ŋ.kʰɪi̯] (Canada, US)
• /ˈd͡ʒæŋ.kiː/ without æ-raising
• [ˈd͡ʒæŋ.kʰɪi̯] without æ-raising
• [ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋ.kʰɪi̯] ~ /ˈd͡ʒɛ̃ŋ.ki/ (Canada, US)
• (US) audio

Meanings

1. (colloquial) Unresponsive (of a software application’s user interface), sluggish.
   • If you love B-movies, crazy sci-fi and intense, janky-as-all-hell videogames, you’ve come to the right place. 2016 September, “Earth Defense Force”, in Play, number 273, →ISSN, page 64:
   • While the asynchronous HTTP call is running on a background thread (preventing a janky UI, or ANRs), the user can navigate away from the activity after the request has been sent but before the response has been received by the device. 2016, Adam Stroud, Android Database Best Practices, Addison-Wesley Professional, →ISBN:

Forms

Deriveds

jankiness · jankily

Relateds

jank