janky

Held together poorly

Janky is slang for something that's broken, poorly made, or unreliable.

A janky car might break down constantly; a janky website crashes or loads wrong.

The word carries connotations of shoddiness and makeshift quality—something that technically works but inspires no confidence.

My laptop's been janky ever since I dropped it.

That's a pretty janky solution, but it'll do for now.

defective

faulty

Having defects or errors

malfunctioningOperating incorrectly or failing
brokenDamaged beyond function
glitchyProne to malfunctions

buggy · flawed · shoddy · unreliable · dysfunctional · substandard · inferior · crappy · crummy · dodgy

improvised

jury-rigged

Temporarily fixed with scraps

makeshiftTemporary, improvised substitute
cobbled-togetherAssembled from random parts
kludgeAwkward but functional solution

bodged · DIY · homebrew · rigged · patched · MacGyvered · band-aid · stopgap · thrown-together · half-assed

rickety

wobbly

Tending to teeter

shakyTrembling or unstable
unstableProne to sudden change
unsteadyLacking balance or stability

ramshackle · dilapidated · decrepit · flimsy · precarious · teetering · tottering · rattling · loose · creaky

Categories

slang adjectivescool, awesome, dope, lit, sick
dev culturedebug, bug, code review, pull request, git
brokenbroken, busted, broken down, out of order, not working
slangslang, jargon, lingo, argot, cant
California Slangdude, hella, gnarly, rad, stoked

Opposites

quality/functionality

Consistently performing as expected

solid · robust · well-made · dependable · sturdy

refinement/polish

Smooth, refined, accomplished

sleek · refined · slick · professional · smooth

legitimacy/trustworthiness

jankylegit

Genuine, in slang

trustworthy · legitimate · reputable · above-board · on the level

Family

junk, junky, junkiness

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Known to kids · Abstract · Negative · Everyday, not technical · Rated G