funk

1 of 4

noun (1)

: a strong offensive smell

funk

2 of 4

verb

funked; funking; funks

intransitive verb

: to become frightened and shrink back

transitive verb

1
: to be afraid of : dread
2
: to shrink from undertaking or facing

funk

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
a
: a state of paralyzing fear
b
: a depressed state of mind
2
: one that funks : coward
3
: slump sense 1
an economic funk
the team went into a funk

funk

4 of 4

noun (3)

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 funkTom Wolfe

Examples of funk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But every now and then, Holmes likes to funk with the jeans-and-a-90s-shirt formula. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 9 Aug. 2023 Our playlist also includes some fun, summertime anthems that just scream outdoor party time, so there’s a little something for everyone – songs dating back to the 19th century and more modern tunes ranging from country to funk and pop. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 30 June 2023 As a musician, Dirty Bird’s Afrofuturistic approach to dance music honors the vintage rhythms of jazz and funk through the lenses of house, jungle, and garage. Arielle Lana Lejarde, Rolling Stone, 13 July 2022 Though his work still touches on the lo-fi and has a handmade feel, he’s been a restless musical force over the past dozen years, jumping from psychedelic rock to funk to clubby dance music. Mark Richardson, WSJ, 25 Apr. 2022 Though hip-hop was clearly the starting point, their songs branched out to funk, pop, R&B, and more. Noah Shachtman, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2023 Burgos’ style of dancing is quick, energetic, and liquid, inspired by everything from hip-hop to funk to salsa. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 20 Jan. 2022 The results range from EDM to ’70s funk to mournful piano solos. Nichole Perkins, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2021 The backdrop of this passion play would be a love letter to funk greats like George Clinton, Isaac Hayes, and Curtis Mayfield. Marisa Whitaker, SPIN, 3 Mar. 2022
Noun
Discussing the new song in a press statement, Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes said it was influenced by Leos Carax’s Boy Meets Girl, the funk group Bootsy’s Rubber Band, and the purchse of a Yamaha TG33 and a Kawai K1M. Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2024 For the second year in a row, local funk/soul mainstays Gold Souls pair with upstart non-alcoholic cocktail slingers the Teetotalist for an zero-proof evening gig. Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 3 Mar. 2024 Some of them spilled onto the sidewalk, dancing to the muffled, breakneck Brazilian funk beats echoing from the DJ booth. Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 28 Feb. 2024 Sweetback’s came courtesy of a largely unknown funk group named Earth, Wind & Fire. Andrew Lawrence, Peoplemag, 17 Feb. 2024 The Warriors’ funk stunk most in the first half, filling the box score with 10 turnovers and gifting the Nets with 15 points off them. Shayna Rubin, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2024 Wisconsin has also been trying to work out of a shooting funk from three-point range. Journal Sentinel, 23 Jan. 2024 Life is all about perspective, and nothing snaps you out of a funk quite like escaping to a future world where things are much, much worse. Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 Jan. 2024 Pair with jeans for a standard styling move or a dress for an extra dose of funk. Calin Van Paris, Peoplemag, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'funk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably ultimately from French dialect (Picard) funquer to give off smoke

Noun (2)

perhaps from obsolete Dutch dialect (Flanders) fonck

Noun (3)

back-formation from funky entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1606, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1746, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

1743, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (3)

1970, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of funk was in 1606

Dictionary Entries Near funk

Cite this Entry

“Funk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

funk

1 of 4 noun
: a strong bad smell

funk

2 of 4 verb
1
: to be or become frightened of
2
: to shrink back from in fear

funk

3 of 4 noun
1
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

Biographical Definition

Funk 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Casimir 1884–1967 American (Polish-born) biochemist

Funk

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Isaac Kauffman 1839–1912 American editor and publisher

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