Funk meaning

fŭngk
funks
See word origin
Frequency:
The definition of funk is a foul odor, or a type of R&B music with a heavy bassline that became popular in the 1970s.

An example of funk is the smell of a high school boy's locker room.

An example of funk is the music of James Brown.

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Funk means a feeling of being depressed or overwhelmed by anxiety or fear.

An example of a funk is postpartum depression.

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A strong, usually unpleasant smell; reek.
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Funk is defined as to be afraid.

An example of funk is going to a party and feeling anxious about talking to new people.

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An unsophisticated quality or atmosphere of a region or locality.
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A cowardly, fearful person.
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To shrink from in fright or dread.
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To be afraid of.
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To shrink in fright.
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The condition of being greatly afraid or in a panic.
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A low, depressed mood.
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To be afraid.
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To avoid as because of fear; shrink from.
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A musty odor, as of moldy tobacco.
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Funky jazz.
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A form of rhythm and blues originating in the 1970s in which highly syncopated polyrhythms are combined with a prominent, jerky bass line, minimal harmonic structure, and declamatory vocalizing.
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(obsolete) Spark.
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(obsolete) Touchwood, punk, tinder.
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(countable) Mental depression.
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(uncountable) A state of fear or panic, especially cowardly.
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To shrink from, or avoid something because of fear.

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(countable) Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odour.
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(uncountable) Music that combines traditional forms of black music (as blues, gospel, or soul) and is characterized by a strong backbeat.
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(intransitive) To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
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To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke.

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Origin of funk

  • Probably ultimately from a northern French dialectal source such as Picard Walloon funquer to produce smoke from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre alteration of Latin fūmigāre fumigate

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Probably from obsolete Flemish fonck disturbance, agitation of unknown origin

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Back-formation from funky

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • From Middle English funke, fonke (“spark”), from Old English *funca, *fanca (“spark”), from Proto-Germanic *funkô, *fankô (“spark”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peng-, *(s)pheng- (“to shine”). Cognate with Middle Low German funke, fanke (“spark”), Middle Dutch vonke (“spark”), Old High German funcho, funko (“spark”), German Funke (“spark”). More at spunk.

    From Wiktionary

  • 1620, from French dialectal (Norman) funquer, funquier (“to smoke, reek”), from Old Northern French fungier (“to smoke”), from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre (“to smoke, fumigate”). Related to French dialect funkière (“smoke”). More at fumigate.

    From Wiktionary

  • 1743, Scottish and Northern English dialectal word, originally a verb meaning "to panic, fail due to panic". Perhaps from or cognate with obsolete Dutch fonck (“distress, agitation”), from Middle Dutch fonck (“perturbation, agitation”). More at flunk.

    From Wiktionary

Funk Sentence Examples

  • He can beat this funk out of you.

  • The next morning—Sunday—Cynthia's mood climbed to somewhere between a blue funk and resigned neutrality.

  • From piano ballad to funk to heavy hard rock.

  • They take disco, dub, funk and jazz - and fuse the lot into a heady cocktail of nightclub magic.

  • electro funk middle ground with hip hop and soul influences.

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Words near funk in the Dictionary