pokey
word
Definition
'Pokey' can mean slow or sluggish, especially about a person or thing. It is also an informal or slang word for jail or prison.
Usage & Nuances
Mainly informal or childish for 'slow'; used to describe people, cars, or processes. 'In the pokey' means 'in jail' but is old-fashioned, more American slang. Rarely used formally. Do not confuse with 'poky' (with one 'e'), which also means cramped or small.
Spanish: lento - cárcel (informal)Portuguese (BR): devagar - prisão (informal)Portuguese (PT): devagar - prisão (informal)Chinese (Simplified): 慢 (口语) - 牢房 (俚语)Chinese (Traditional): 慢 (口語) - 牢房 (俚語)Hindi: धीमा - जेल (स्लैंग)Arabic: بطيء - السجن (عامية)Bengali: ধীরগত - কারাগার (স্ল্যাং)Russian: медлительный - тюрьма (разг.)Japanese: のろい - 刑務所（俗語）Vietnamese: chậm chạp - tù (từ lóng)Korean: 느린 - 감옥(속어)Turkish: ağır hareket eden - hapis (argo)Urdu: سست - جیل (غیر رسمی)Indonesian: lambat - penjara (slang)
Example Sentences
After the fight, he ended up in the pokey for a night.
natural
Don't be so pokey—hurry up!
basic
He walks so pokey that we're always late.
basic
This old computer is really pokey.
basic
My phone gets really pokey when the battery is low.
natural
Traffic is so pokey during rush hour, it's frustrating.
natural