balky

[ baw-kee ]
See synonyms for balky on Thesaurus.com
adjective,balk·i·er, balk·i·est.
  1. given to balking; stubborn; obstinate: a balky mule.

Origin of balky

1
First recorded in 1840–50; balk + -y1

Other words for balky

Other words from balky

  • balk·i·ly, adverb
  • balk·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby balky

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use balky in a sentence

  • Then, with wind blowing him out horizontal under the wing, he hooks a boot on that balky wheel, kicks the mother home.

    The Ballad of Johnny France | Richard Ben Cramer | January 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Then suddenly around the corners of his under lip a little balky smile began to flicker.

    Molly Make-Believe | Eleanor Hallowell Abbott
  • If the design of his craft was faulty and it proved “balky” when he attempted flight, he had only himself to blame.

    The Romance of Aircraft | Lawrence Yard Smith
  • For nearly a score of years they pulled like a pair of balky horses--what time they were not doing the monkey and parrot act.

    Happiness and Marriage | Elizabeth (Jones) Towne
  • A balky team or a break in the harness requires prompt relief or all will be lost.

  • Horses balky and unused to work, had to unhitch one and returned with but little drill.

    An Artilleryman's Diary | Jenkin Lloyd Jones

British Dictionary definitions for balky

balky

baulky

/ (ˈbɔːkɪ, ˈbɔːlkɪ) /


adjectivebalkier, balkiest, baulkier or baulkiest
  1. inclined to stop abruptly and unexpectedly: a balky horse

Derived forms of balky

  • balkily or baulkily, adverb
  • balkiness or baulkiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012