“Rinky-dink” is an informal, mainly American English term that means something is small-time, unimportant, or of poor/cheap quality. It can also suggest that something is old-fashioned, shabby, or amateurish rather than professional or impressive.

Part of speech

• As an adjective, people say things like “a rinky-dink operation” for a business that seems minor or low quality. It often carries a slightly mocking or dismissive tone.

• As a noun, it can refer to a person or thing considered insignificant or low-grade.

Extra notes

• The word is slang and usually appears in casual speech, not formal writing.

• It has been used in U.S. English since the early 1900s, originally tied to the idea of something trivial or worthless.