Ducky

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈdʌki/

Definitions

1. Having traits reminiscent of a small waterfowl, being delightful or pleasing, and indicating that circumstances are favorable or going well describes this term
2. Having qualities or features like those of a duck ; being charming or very agreeable ; suggesting that situations are favorable or progressing smoothly
3. Exhibiting traits similar to a duck's appearance or behavior ; presenting a pleasant or endearing nature ; showing that events are turning out well

Etymology: Anyone who has called a friend "ducky" has borrowed a word that started as a plain description of a bird. "Duck" comes down from Proto-Germanic "dūkaną," a verb-derived word meaning "to dip" or "dive," which fits a bird that ducks its head under water. Old English had "dūce" for the bird, and it became "duck" in English. Adding the diminutive suffix "-y" gave a form meaning something like "little duck," and that suffix is what makes "ducky" mean "resembling a duck" in the plainest sense. The suffix is an old one. The Old English "-iġ" that eventually became Middle English "-y" was used to form adjectives and small-scale nouns from existing words, which is why so many English words end this way. The affectionate sense comes from "duck" used as a term of endearment, a usage the source treats as the basis for the word's later pet-name meaning. So the same two-part formation, "duck" plus "-y," supports both the literal adjective and the familiar term of address.

Synonyms: delightful, charming, cute, pleasant, lovely

Antonyms: unpleasant, disagreeable, offensive, ugly, unlovely