adj
kinky
KIHNG-kee
adj
1
Full of tight curls or twists, especially describing hair.
"Her kinky curls bounced with every step."
2
Sexually unconventional; involving unusual sexual preferences or practices.
"The novel was banned for its kinky content."
"They joked that trying a new restaurant felt oddly kinky for such creatures of habit."
How to Use Kinky
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither tightly curled (hair) or sexually adventurous/unconventional, depending on context.
Common pairings
kinky hair
a bit kinky
kinky sex
Word Forms
kinkier comparative, kinkiest superlative
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Her _____ curls bounced with every step.
Etymology
From kink + the adjective-forming suffix -y, originally just meaning "twisted" before picking up its figurative sexual sense in the 20th century.