Illustration of skunk
- skunk 1a
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You know what it looks like… but what is it called?
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plural skunks also skunk
skunked; skunking; skunks
Synonyms
Noun
- bastard
- beast
- bleeder [British]
- blighter [chiefly British]
- boor
- bounder
- bugger
- buzzard
- cad
- chuff
- churl
- clown
- creep
- cretin
- crud [slang]
- crumb [slang]
- cur
- dirtbag [slang]
- dog
- fink
- heel
- hound
- jerk
- joker
- louse
- lout
- pill
- rat
- rat fink
- reptile
- rotter
- schmuck [slang]
- scum
- scumbag [slang]
- scuzzball [slang]
- sleaze
- sleazebag [slang]
- sleazeball [slang]
- slime
- slimeball [slang]
- slob
- snake
- so-and-so
- sod [chiefly British]
- stinkard
- stinker
- swine
- toad
- varmint
- vermin
Verb
Example Sentences
Noun
Her brother's a low-down, dirty skunk.
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Verb
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Recent Examples on the Web
Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2022
Meantime, the paradox in progressive attitudes toward marijuana continues to grow like skunk weed.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2022
Sometimes that meant being the skunk at the garden party ...
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022
Further decomposition emits mercaptans, which are sulfur-containing molecules found in skunk spray, rotting meat and other obnoxious things.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 18 July 2022
Among recreational users, cannabis varieties that are skunk-forward are among the most popular formulations, making recipes that favor a skunky aroma valuable to cannabis companies.
—Madeline Bodin, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2021
No skunk weed — that foul, noxious pot that pervades Gotham’s air.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Nov. 2022
Security personnel spent part of the second half trying to capture a skunk, which was on the loose inside the stadium.
—Tom Withers, ajc, 27 Nov. 2022
Videos and pictures of a real, live skunk in the stands began to make the rounds during the first half of Cleveland’s thrilling 23-17 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 27 Nov. 2022
Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2022
This product is made with protein deodorizers that remove odors, even skunk smell!
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022
Some include the tropical yam, balsam pear, skunk vine, Virginia creeper and wild grape.
—Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Sep. 2022
From the long, layered butterfly haircut to edgy skunk stripe hair, TikTok hair trends are everywhere—and likely will be for a while.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 17 Aug. 2022
Despite its cheeky name, skunk stripe hair has little to do with Pepé Le Pew.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 27 July 2022
Jacobson, an officer with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office in Rochester, found a baby skunk on the road that appeared to be dehydrated.
—USA TODAY, 22 June 2022
Javelinas are also known as peccaries or skunk pigs.
—Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2022
The federation says the rare animal also has a colorful array of nicknames, including woods devil, Indian devil, nasty cat and skunk bear.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2022
See More
Noun
Sky Island Alliance cameras have detected a wide variety of wildlife on the border, including black bears, coatis, ringtails, porcupines, possums, three types of deer including the Coues subspecies, and four skunk species.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 1 Dec. 2022
Meantime, the paradox in progressive attitudes toward marijuana continues to grow like skunk weed.
—The Editorial Board, WSJ, 21 Nov. 2022
Sometimes that meant being the skunk at the garden party ...
—Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2022
Further decomposition emits mercaptans, which are sulfur-containing molecules found in skunk spray, rotting meat and other obnoxious things.
—Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 18 July 2022
Among recreational users, cannabis varieties that are skunk-forward are among the most popular formulations, making recipes that favor a skunky aroma valuable to cannabis companies.
—Madeline Bodin, Discover Magazine, 29 Jan. 2021
No skunk weed — that foul, noxious pot that pervades Gotham’s air.
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 16 Nov. 2022
Security personnel spent part of the second half trying to capture a skunk, which was on the loose inside the stadium.
—Tom Withers, ajc, 27 Nov. 2022
Videos and pictures of a real, live skunk in the stands began to make the rounds during the first half of Cleveland’s thrilling 23-17 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
—Ashley Bastock, cleveland, 27 Nov. 2022
Verb
The presence of a sulfur atom in place of an oxygen atom contributes to the aromatic bouquet that gives odors like skunk a characteristic aroma.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 16 Oct. 2022
This product is made with protein deodorizers that remove odors, even skunk smell!
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 28 Oct. 2022
Some include the tropical yam, balsam pear, skunk vine, Virginia creeper and wild grape.
—Tom Maccubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 17 Sep. 2022
From the long, layered butterfly haircut to edgy skunk stripe hair, TikTok hair trends are everywhere—and likely will be for a while.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 17 Aug. 2022
Despite its cheeky name, skunk stripe hair has little to do with Pepé Le Pew.
—Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 27 July 2022
Jacobson, an officer with the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office in Rochester, found a baby skunk on the road that appeared to be dehydrated.
—USA TODAY, 22 June 2022
Javelinas are also known as peccaries or skunk pigs.
—Elisha Fieldstadt, NBC News, 11 Apr. 2022
The federation says the rare animal also has a colorful array of nicknames, including woods devil, Indian devil, nasty cat and skunk bear.
—Stephen Smith, CBS News, 16 Mar. 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skunk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Phrases Containing skunk
Dictionary Entries Near skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skunk. Accessed 5 Feb. 2023.
Kids Definition
skunk
1 of 2 noun
plural skunks also skunk
skunk
2 of 2 verb
: to defeat completely
especially
: to prevent entirely from scoring or succeeding : shut out
Geographical Definition
Skunk
geographical name
river 264 miles (425 kilometers) long in southeastern Iowa flowing southeast into the Mississippi River
More from Merriam-Webster on skunk
Nglish: Translation of skunk for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of skunk for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about skunk
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