ducky

C2 Topic:Communication

Also spelled duckie

US /ˈdʌki/ UK /ˈdʌki/ See IPA manual

Freq #11377

Meanings

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

adj
US informal: pleasant, satisfactory, or fine

Everything seemed ducky until the engine warning light came on.
3

adj
resembling or characteristic of a duck

The comic actor answered in a deliberately ducky voice.
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... dear darling love

2 adj · us informal: pleasant,... fine satisfactory pleasant

3 adj · resembling or... ducklike

4 noun · informal: a small duck,... little duckrubber duck

Opposites

unsatisfactory

Word family

Related forms duck endearmentrubber 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.

Topics

Communication

External links

# ducky

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈdʌki/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈdʌki/
**Frequency rank:** 11377

## Meanings
1. informal, especially British and sometimes dated: an affectionate form of address for a person
2. US informal: pleasant, satisfactory, or fine
3. resembling or characteristic of a duck
4. informal: a small duck, especially a toy rubber duck

## Examples
- The market seller greeted every familiar customer with, "Morning, ducky."
- Everything seemed ducky until the engine warning light came on.
- The comic actor answered in a deliberately ducky voice.
- A yellow ducky floated beside the soap bubbles.

## Synonyms
- dear
- darling
- fine
- satisfactory
- ducklike

## Antonyms
- unsatisfactory

## Related Forms
- duck
- endearment
- rubber 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.

## Topics
- Communication

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