noun

funk

fuhngk

noun

A strong, unpleasant smell, especially body odor.

"The locker room had a distinct funk after the game."

A style of rhythmic dance music derived from soul music, featuring a strong bass line and syncopated beat.

"James Brown is often credited as one of the founders of funk."

A state of depression, gloom, or nervous fear.

"After losing the job, he fell into a real funk for weeks."

verb

To give off an unpleasant smell.

"The gym bag was funking up the whole car."

How to Use Funk

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDepending on context: a bad smell, a music genre with a heavy groove, or a low, gloomy mood.

Common mistake

Context decides the meaning heavily — "in a funk" almost always means depressed or low, not smelly.

Common pairings

in a funk funk music a bad funk

Word Forms

funked past tense, funked past tense, funks plural, funks plural, funks plural, funks singular, funks singular

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The locker room had a distinct _____ after the game.

Etymology

Traced to 17th-century French dialect words meaning "to smoke" or "to reek," ultimately from Latin fumigare ("to fumigate") — the same root as "fumigate."

Synonyms

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Related Words

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Rhymes for funk

bunk junk punk dunk gunk hunk Munk drunk skunk trunk chunk spunk

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