dank

adjective

ˈdaŋk 

: unpleasantly moist or wet

a dank basement

dankly adverb

dankness noun

Synonyms

• damp
• moist

Choose the Right Synonym for dank

wet, damp, dank, moist, humid mean covered or more or less soaked with liquid.

wet usually implies saturation but may suggest a covering of a surface with water or something (such as paint) not yet dry.

slipped on the wet pavement

damp implies a slight or moderate absorption and often connotes an unpleasant degree of moisture.

clothes will mildew if stored in a damp place

dank implies a more distinctly disagreeable or unwholesome dampness.

a prisoner in a cold, dank cell

moist applies to what is slightly damp or not felt as dry.

treat the injury with moist heat

humid applies to the presence of much water vapor in the air.

a hot, humid climate

Examples of dank in a Sentence

vegetables tended to go bad quickly in the dank cellar

Recent Examples on the Web

Basements harbor even more humidity down below and can develop a dank smell from the growth of mold and mildew. —Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 26 May 2025

With a little effort and some creative additions, your dank deviled eggs will become the star of your Memorial Day spread! —Matt Rozo, Mercury News, 26 May 2025

If Joan didn’t respond to Maya’s text, or anyone’s, maybe her life could remain the same: meager gigs, Paige’s twenty-one-year-long friendship, one-night stands, boiled vegetables in her dank apartment, the ocean loud and invisible beyond its walls. —Literary Hub, 4 June 2025

There was just enough water to float us through the dank tunnel under the ancient stone aqueduct that carries the canal over the mouth of the run, and out in the river there wasn’t much more. —Arthur Grahame, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English danke

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for dank

• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank
• drank
• flank
• franc
• hank
• lank
• plank
• prank

Kids Definition

dank

adjective

ˈdaŋk 

: unpleasantly moist or wet

dankly adverb

dankness noun