dank

adjective

ˈdaŋk 

: unpleasantly moist or wet

a dank basement

dankly adverb

dankness noun

Synonyms

• damp
• dampish
• moist
• wettish

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

Image The official White House account is rife with boasting and taunting posts, many drawing on meme formats from the dank corners of the internet. —James Poniewozik, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2025

In Ghana’s capital, follow a visit to a castle where captives waiting to be taken to the New World were held in dank dungeons with a trip to the Black Star of Africa sitting atop an arch, announcing Ghana’s independence. —Gerald Narciso Jeremie Souteyrat, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2025

For one, the hair dye solution was so slippery and hard to control, women were using rags instead of towels and dank basement sinks to dye their hair in order to avoid making a mess in their own bathrooms. —Esther K. Choy, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

Five people could comfortably fit — and there were 43 of us crammed in a dank hole. —Lea Lane, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2024

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