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

Winters here are dank and dark enough anyway. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2025

From the cool, dank blue-gray tones of Maria’s basement to the clever signage that adorns the schoolroom walls, the production mechanics work to pull viewers further into this high stakes character study. —Holly Jones, Variety, 26 Sep. 2025

Abnormal’s flagship beer, Boss Pour is a blast from our brewing past, a salute to the dank, hop-heavy India Pale Ales that put San Diego on the brewing map. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025

DeMarco’s records were easy, loose, and cool, with echoes of Neil Young and Brian Wilson, if they’d been reared on dank memes, legal weed, and back issues of Thrasher. —Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 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