"jakey" means: A homeless drunk.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
jakey
(chiefly, Scotland) A homeless drunk.
Definitions
(chiefly, Scotland) A homeless drunk.
There is a noise, now that she's properly awake, but it's not the hard laughter of youths, nor the drunken singing of the old jakeys who sometimes set up camp in one of the empty flats.
"jakey" means: A homeless drunk.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"jakey" means: A homeless drunk.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“I absolutely adore them all. I'm incredibly happy with Jay's NoxStar, but Wonchu is super squishy. Jakey is very Jake coded, and I can't wait to see the making of for the other 3. 😊”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "jakey" (J)
Browse all slang words starting with J.
Related terms
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Semantically related
- jaikie71%
(Scotland) A lad (especially a hard-drinking young man in an urban environment).
- jaked70%
(slang) drunk, intoxicated.
- jake68%
(US) A juvenile male turkey.
- jaked67%
Slang for drunk or intoxicated — another word in the long list of informal synonyms for being under the influence. 'Jaked' has a slightly dated or regional flavor and may be connected to 'jake' (fine, okay in some dialects) used ironically, or to 'Jake's leg,' a form of paralysis caused by poisonous alcohol during Prohibition. Typically used informally to describe solid inebriation.
- Jockney67%
(slang) A Scot who lives in London.