Antonyms for hunky dory

Grammar : Adj, adv

Spell : huhng-kee-dawr-ee, -dohr-ee

Phonetic Transcription : ˈhʌŋ kiˈdɔr i, -ˈdoʊr i

Definition of hunky dory

Origin : 1866, American English (popularized c.1870 by a Christy Minstrel song), perhaps a reduplication of hunkey "all right, satisfactory" (1861), from hunk "in a safe position" (1847) New York City slang, from Dutch honk "goal, home," from Middle Dutch honc "place of refuge, hiding place." A theory from 1876, however, traces it to Honcho dori, said to be a street in Yokohama, Japan, where sailors went for diversions of the sort sailors enjoy.

As in acceptable : adj satisfactory, agreeable
As in goodish : adj acceptable
As in OK : adj acceptable
As in unobjectionable : adj acceptable
As in admirable : adj held in great respect
As in cool : adj excellent
As in dandy : adj fine, excellent
As in agreeable : adj pleasing
As in all right : adj satisfactory
As in all-right : adv satisfactorily

Example sentences :

Sometimes she will come running in, and say, "I am so hunky dory I don't know what to do; want sonton to neat."
Extract from : « Harper's Young People, April 20, 1880 » by Various

Synonyms for hunky dory

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019