skunk

noun \ ˈskəŋk \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Definition of skunk

plural skunks also skunk

1 a : any of various common omnivorous black-and-white New World mammals (especially genus Mephitis) of the weasel family that have a pair of perineal glands from which a secretion of pungent and offensive odor is ejected

b : the fur of a skunk

2 : an obnoxious or disliked person

See skunk defined for English-language learners

See skunk defined for kids

Examples of skunk in a Sentence

Her brother's a low-down, dirty skunk.
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk

Recent Examples of skunk from the Web

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Bureau of Laboratories has identified rabies in 22 bats and two skunks as of June 28.

— keith matheny, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan health officials see uptick in bats with rabies," 3 July 2018
Residents should not handle deceased rabbits or other deceased wildlife such as skunks and bats.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Rabbit found in Tinley Park tests positive for tularemia," 19 June 2018
Hagerman, New Mexico is currently dealing with a yearly skunk invasion.

— Fox News, "Skunks invade small New Mexico town," 12 Mar. 2018
Be understanding towards your pup as his nose is much more sensitive to the skunk smell.

— janine m. kahn, Good Housekeeping, "What You Should Do When Your Dog Rolls In These 3 Disgusting Things—According To Veterinarians," 10 July 2017
The Congressional Budget Office, playing its usual skunk-at-the-picnic role, estimated that actual outlays would be reduced by about $1 billion.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "After Blowing Up the Deficit, House Passes Mostly Phony Spending Cuts," 8 June 2018
The list of the turtles’ predators is long, from raccoons, to skunks, crows, chipmunks and foxes.

— frank abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "'Turtle champions' determined to rebuild endangered Blanding's population in Lake County area," 30 May 2018
Wildlife officers reported accidentally killing at least 12 feral dogs, 110 foxes, 21 opossums, 48 raccoons, two ravens, two feral pigs, a handful of skunks and at least one pet dog.

— trevor hughes, USA TODAY, "Cyanide 'bombs' used to kill coyotes, foxes under review by federal officials," 28 Apr. 2018
Traps are being set up to capture the skunks and humanely remove them from the area.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Officials in New Mexico town battling skunk invasion," 6 Mar. 2018

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.

Illustration of skunk

Origin and Etymology of skunk

earlier squuncke, from a Massachusett reflex of Algonquian *šeka·kwa, from šek- urinate + -a·kw fox, fox-like animal

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1634

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

skunk Synonyms

Synonyms

beast, boor, cad, churl, clown, creep, cur, dog, heel, jerk, joker, louse, lout, pill, rat, reptile, scum, slob, snake, stinker, swine, varmint, vermin;

Near Antonyms

hero, heroine, idol, role model;

gentleman, lady;

angel, saint;

loudmouth, vulgarian;

lowlife, miscreant, rascal, rogue, roughneck, scab, scamp, scoundrel, villain, wretch;

booby, fool, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, nut;

airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dolt, dope, dork [slang], goon, half-wit, idiot, imbecile, moron, turkey;

Phrases

son of a gun;

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

skunk

verb

Definition of skunk

skunked; skunking; skunks

transitive verb

1 a : defeat

b : to prevent entirely from scoring or succeeding : shut out

2 : to fail to pay; also : cheat

Examples of skunk in a Sentence

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 of skunk from the Web

Getting skunked Such discoveries are becoming rarer, however, as hunters grapple with a problem: fewer relics in circulation.

— daisy maxey, WSJ, "Coin-Roll Hunting: The Secrets of a Treasure-Seeking Hobby," 6 May 2018
The parochial interests of members whose bases were on the chopping block consistently skunked the endeavor.

— jay cost, National Review, "Good Riddance to IPAB, the Independent Payment Advisory Board," 12 Feb. 2018
Just like so many Mizzou fans did on Saturday at Memorial Stadium watching what is now Odom’s product get skunked 35-3 by Purdue.

— vahe gregorian, kansascity, "Debacle against Purdue cranks up heat on Mizzou coach Barry Odom — and it should," 16 Sep. 2017
Overcast and somewhat cool temperatures at Mandeville High School were John Curtis battled Covington for a 7-0 win and Riverside Academy skunked Mandeville 28-0.

— david grunfeld, NOLA.com, "Get your mind off of Hurricane Harvey and check out the photos from the Mandeville prep football jamboree," 26 Aug. 2017
For someone who in the past felt lucky to find a few morels — and more than once had been skunked — this seemed nothing short of miraculous.

— bill sherwonit, Alaska Dispatch News, "Confessions of a morel hunter," 5 Aug. 2017
EAGLE LAKE Fishing continues to be slow with most anglers getting skunked or picking up just one or two trout.

— sacbee, "Salmon season off to slow start, but there are signs of hope," 31 July 2017
Because skunk spray is an oil and Dawn removes oil from animals so well, Dawn is a good tool in your arsenal of pet de-skunking. 5.

— emily main, Fox News, "7 summer pet problems solved," 11 July 2017
Jeff Alworth, the author of The Beer Bible, says that sun and even artificial light will skunk a beer.

— danielle tullo, Cosmopolitan, "13 Ways You're Drinking Wrong," 24 Nov. 2015

First Known Use of skunk

1843

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

skunk Synonyms

Phrases

get the better of, knock for a loop;

Skunk

geographical name

Definition of Skunk

river 264 miles (425 kilometers) long in southeastern Iowa flowing southeast into the Mississippi River

SKUNK Defined for English Language Learners

skunk

noun

Definition of skunk for English Language Learners

: a small black-and-white North American animal that produces a very strong and unpleasant smell when it is frightened or in danger
: a very bad or unpleasant person