hunky

1 of 2

adjective

ˈhəŋ-kē How to pronounce hunky (audio)
hunkier; hunkiest
Synonyms of hunkynext
: being a hunk : attractive and usually well-built
the film's hunky leading man

Hunky

2 of 2

noun

Hun·​ky ˈhəŋ-kē How to pronounce Hunky (audio)
variants or less commonly Hunkie
plural Hunkies
dated, usually disparaging + offensive
: a person of central or east European birth or descent

Examples of hunky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The mother of three was first spotted with the hunky Larocca, in October 2024, about six months after the nasty breakup with Hall. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2026 When the body of a social media influencer/rival realtor is discovered on a property owned by her godmother — who is then arrested — Leo must team up with a hunky detective to find the real killer. — Diya Chacko, Oc Register, 18 May 2026 Fan reaction was so strong to his hunky plastic surgeon character that he was upgraded to series regular the next season, and stayed through 2012 when his character died in the season 9 premiere. — Jillian Sederholm, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Feb. 2026 Casting sexy, hunky Sharpe as Mozart — quite in contrast to the movie’s Tom Hulce, with his Harpo Marx energy and strange explosive giggle — signals that this is meant to be a Serious Take on the material. — Robert Lloyd, Boston Herald, 10 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunky

Word History

Etymology

Noun

alteration of Hungarian

First Known Use

Adjective

1890, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunky was in 1890

Phrases Containing hunky

Rhymes for hunky

See All Rhymes for hunky

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Hunky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunky. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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