Also spelled duckie

US /ˈdʌki/ UK /ˈdʌki/
noun adj Freq #11377

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    informal, especially British and sometimes dated: an affectionate form of address for a person

    The market seller greeted every familiar customer with, "Morning, ducky."

  2. 2
    adj

    US informal: pleasant, satisfactory, or fine

    Everything seemed ducky until the engine warning light came on.

  3. 3
    adj

    resembling or characteristic of a duck

    The comic actor answered in a deliberately ducky voice.

  4. 4
    noun

    informal: a small duck, especially a toy rubber duck

    A yellow ducky floated beside the soap bubbles.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · informal, especially... deardarlinglove
2 adj · us informal: pleasant,... finesatisfactorypleasant
3 adj · resembling or... ducklike
4 noun · informal: a small duck,... little duckrubber duck
Opposites
Word family
Related forms duckendearmentrubber duck

Etymology

Formed from duck + the affectionate or diminutive suffix -y. Duck has long served as a British term of endearment; ducky developed as an affectionate address, a diminutive for the bird, and an adjective. The US informal sense 'fine or satisfactory' arose later.

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