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Synonyms

funk

1 American  
[fuhngk] / fʌŋk /

noun

  1. cowering fear; state of great fright or terror.

  2. a dejected mood.

    He's been in a funk ever since she walked out on him.

verb (used with object)

  1. British. to shrink from; try to shirk.

    We can only say that the government has funked its responsibility.

verb (used without object)

  1. British. to shrink or quail in fear.

    He funked at nothing, and could lick every boy in the neighborhood.
funk 2 American  
[fuhngk] / fʌŋk /

noun

  1. Jazz. music having a funky quality.

    Let's set aside our music exercises for now and get down to some real funk.

  2. a strong, earthy smell; stench.

    That is some serious funk coming from the compost pile.

  3. the state or quality of being funky.

Funk 3 American  
[foongk, fuhngk] / fʊŋk, fʌŋk /

noun

  1. Casimir 1884–1967, U.S. biochemist, born in Poland: discovered thiamine, the first vitamin isolated.

funk 1 British  
/ fʌŋk /

noun

  1. slang a strong foul odour

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Funk 2 British  
/ fʌŋk /

noun

  1. Casimir (ˈkæzɪˌmɪə). 1884–1967, US biochemist, born in Poland: studied and named vitamins

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
funk 3 British  
/ fʌŋk /

noun

  1. Also called: blue funk.  a state of nervousness, fear, or depression (esp in the phrase in a funk )

  2. a coward

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to flinch from (responsibility) through fear

  2. (tr; usually passive) to make afraid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
funk 4 British  
/ fʌŋk /

noun

  1. informal a type of polyrhythmic Black dance music with heavy syncopation

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Funk Scientific  
/ fŭngk,fo̅o̅ngk /

  1. Polish-born American biochemist who is credited with the discovery of vitamins. In 1912 he postulated the existence of four organic bases he called vitamines which were necessary for normal health and the prevention of deficiency diseases. He also contributed to the knowledge of the hormones of the pituitary gland and the sex glands.

Other Word Forms

  • funker noun

Etymology

Origin of funk1

First recorded in 1735–45; originally Oxford University slang; perhaps from early Dutch dialect (in de) fonck “in difficulties;” further origin unknown

Origin of funk2

First recorded in 1615–25; perhaps from North French dialect funquier, funquer “give off smoke,” Old North French fungier, from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre fumigate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

B.J. insists, underscoring his point about the influence of funk and rock music by squeezing in an Earth, Wind & Fire concert during which he finagles an excuse to join them onstage.

From Los Angeles Times

"I make jazz fusion mixed with Afrobeat, funk, and traditional rhythms from Senegal, Mali and the Serer people", he said, referring to the ethnic community from which he hails.

From Barron's

At first he signed disco and funk groups such as KC and the Sunshine Band and Kool & the Gang.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s also loud, as the sounds of a rambunctious funk band next door work to penetrate the space.

From Los Angeles Times

The exchange of ideas between the two would later be seen as formative to the development of Afrobeat, a political cocktail blending highlife with funk, jazz and soul.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.