funked; funking; funks
: to become frightened and shrink back
1
a
: a state of paralyzing fear
b
: a depressed state of mind
3
: slump sense 1
an economic funk
the team went into a funk
1
: music that combines elements of rhythm and blues and soul music and that is characterized by a percussive vocal style, static harmonies, and a strong bass line with heavy downbeats
2
: the quality or state of being funky
jeans … have lost much of their funk—
Tom Wolfe
Tom WolfeSynonyms
Examples of funk in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the overpowering funk of rotten meat emanated from the garbage bin
Noun (2)
he may be a strong, athletic guy, but he's a real funk when it comes to donating blood
Recent Examples on the Web
Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
His music runs across genres, from blues to funk to hip-hop, and his fondness for his home base of Oakland, California, is infectious.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 9 May 2024
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
The film is the untold story of influential pioneer of funk and his tumultuous journey to founding musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for funk 
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Verb
But Minchin and Alcock are an electric duo, their bristling anti-chemistry transmuting their characters’ respective funks from mostly unwatchable to genuinely compelling.
—Alexis Gunderson, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024
His music runs across genres, from blues to funk to hip-hop, and his fondness for his home base of Oakland, California, is infectious.
—Scott Hocker, theweek, 9 May 2024
Noun
James Brown was the inventor of funk, and the form’s two mythical inheritor-innovators were Sly Stone and George Clinton.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 Nov. 2024
The film is the untold story of influential pioneer of funk and his tumultuous journey to founding musical collective Parliament-Funkadelic.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for funk
Articles Related to funk
Dictionary Entries Near funk
Cite this Entry
“Funk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funk. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
funk
1 of 4 noun
: a strong bad smell
funk
2 of 4 verb1
: to be or become frightened of
2
: to shrink back from in fear
funk
3 of 4 noun1
a
: great fear
b
: a depressed state of mind
2
: coward
3
: slump entry 2
the team went into a funk
funk
4 of 4 noun
: music that combines forms of blues, gospel, or soul music and has a strong backbeat
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