What does pokey mean?
“Pokey” is an informal American word that describes something slow, sluggish, dull, or insufficiently impressive. It can characterize movement, as in “a pokey pace,” or an activity or product, as in “a pokey game.” In another sense, it means small or insignificant, often suggesting that something is too minor to matter. The word also has an informal noun use: “the pokey” means prison. Although it may sound mild, the adjective can be quite pointed, conveying annoyance or a judgment that something is uninspired or ineffective. It is sometimes written “poky,” and the two spellings can be difficult to distinguish in dictionaries because both are accepted in American usage. The word is more characteristic of informal speech and writing than formal registers.
Slow or sluggish; dull or uninteresting; small or insignificant.
"The service was slow and the food was pokey."
Informal and often mildly dismissive; the spelling “poky” is also common.
A prison.
"He was headed to the pokey after the arrest."
Informal, especially American; normally used in the phrase “the pokey.”
The plural is uncommon; the expression is normally used in the singular form with the definite article, as in “the pokey.”
"The story was about a fugitive who escaped the pokeys."
In American English, “the pokey” can mean prison—an unexpectedly dramatic noun hiding behind an innocuous-looking word.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pokey come from?
The precise origin of “pokey” is uncertain, and dictionaries commonly describe its derivation as obscure. It became established in American English as an informal adjective meaning slow, dull, or insignificant. Its separate prison sense developed within American slang, with “the pokey” becoming a conventional expression for jail or prison.
Related word forms
How pokey is actually used
The adjective is informal and commonly dismissive, implying that something is slow, dull, or unworthy of attention. The noun is also informal and is most often used with the definite article as “the pokey.”
Easily confused with pokey
“Poky” and “pokey” are both established spellings of the adjective meaning slow or insignificant, though “poky” is the more common spelling in many modern dictionaries.