A donkey is a sturdy, sure-footed animal related to horses but smaller, with longer ears and a distinctive braying call that sounds like “hee-haw!” Donkeys have served humans for thousands of years, carrying heavy loads across mountains, deserts, and rocky terrain where horses might stumble. Their reputation for stubbornness isn't quite fair: donkeys are actually cautious and intelligent, refusing to do something if they sense danger. A horse might panic and bolt, but a donkey stops to assess the situation.

People sometimes use “donkey” as a mild insult, calling someone a donkey if they're being foolish or stubborn. In the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey, blindfolded players try to attach a paper tail to a picture of a donkey, usually missing by quite a bit and sticking it somewhere silly.

A male donkey is called a jack, a female is a jenny, and a baby is a foal. When a male donkey and a female horse have offspring together, the result is a mule, which combines the donkey's endurance with the horse's size and speed.