Illustration of skunk
- skunk 1a
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
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
Examples of skunk in a Sentence
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
Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Their scent comes from their anal gland and is smellier than skunk’s spray.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
According to the wildlife agency, gray foxes, alongside bats and skunks, are among the most commonly infected with rabies.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Some larger owls such as the great horned owl can snatch up rabbits, skunks or even other owls, Williams said.
—Megan Marples, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
She's also expressed her appreciation of skunks, mule deer, monkeys and lambs on her Instagram.
—Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
And in New York, the Times Union has reported on soft, wet, spongy floors, bedbugs and even skunks living under worker housing.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 27 Feb. 2024
Valentine's Day jokes Why do skunks love Valentine’s Day?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
While urban coyotes, foxes, skunks, and raccoons will gladly nab turkey eggs and babies, adult turkeys—which weigh up to 20 pounds—are formidable opponents, notes Drake.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024
Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 21 Apr. 2022
But coastal Alabama didn’t get skunked, thanks to one listing in Fairhope and two in Orange Beach.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 12 July 2023
Mississippi also got skunked but Tennessee had two places on the list, Florida had five, Georgia had four.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 4 June 2023
View Photos But the GTS doesn't get skunked, either.
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 16 Apr. 2023
In lockstep with Marchand, he also was skunked on the power play in the 14 games.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
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
Noun
Baby goats, ducks, geese, deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, pet cats and other animals have tested positive.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024
Their scent comes from their anal gland and is smellier than skunk’s spray.
—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
According to the wildlife agency, gray foxes, alongside bats and skunks, are among the most commonly infected with rabies.
—The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
Some larger owls such as the great horned owl can snatch up rabbits, skunks or even other owls, Williams said.
—Megan Marples, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
She's also expressed her appreciation of skunks, mule deer, monkeys and lambs on her Instagram.
—Emily J. Shiffer, Peoplemag, 2 Nov. 2023
And in New York, the Times Union has reported on soft, wet, spongy floors, bedbugs and even skunks living under worker housing.
—Melissa Sanchez, ProPublica, 27 Feb. 2024
Valentine's Day jokes Why do skunks love Valentine’s Day?
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2024
While urban coyotes, foxes, skunks, and raccoons will gladly nab turkey eggs and babies, adult turkeys—which weigh up to 20 pounds—are formidable opponents, notes Drake.
—Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
In a remarkable, odds-defying losing streak, the 67-year-old composer has been skunked on every nomination, including the past seven years in a row.
—Tyler Coates, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Mar. 2024
There’s nothing worse than getting skunked and then stuck in the marsh with no cell service.
—Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 4 Nov. 2020
That means two out of three Minnesota turkey hunters are going skunked this spring.
—Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 21 Apr. 2022
But coastal Alabama didn’t get skunked, thanks to one listing in Fairhope and two in Orange Beach.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 12 July 2023
Mississippi also got skunked but Tennessee had two places on the list, Florida had five, Georgia had four.
—Lawrence Specker | Lspecker@al.com, al, 4 June 2023
View Photos But the GTS doesn't get skunked, either.
—Patrick Bedard, Car and Driver, 16 Apr. 2023
In lockstep with Marchand, he also was skunked on the power play in the 14 games.
—Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skunk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skunk. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
skunk
1 of 2 noun
plural skunks also skunk
1
: any of various black-and-white North American mammals related to the weasels that give off a fluid with a sharp and unpleasant smell when threatened
2
: a mean hateful person
skunk
2 of 2 verb
: to defeat completely
especially
: to prevent entirely from scoring or succeeding : shut out
Etymology
Noun
from a word in Massachusett (an extinct Algonguian language spoken in Massachusetts)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share