spunk

noun \ ˈspəŋk \

|Updated on: 25 Jul 2018

Examples: spunk in a Sentence

Definition of spunk

1 a : a woody tinder : punk

b : any of various fungi used to make tinder

2 : mettle, pluck

3 : spirit, liveliness

See spunk defined for English-language learners

See spunk defined for kids

Examples of spunk in a Sentence

That little girl has a lot of spunk.
had the spunk to overcome a severe physical disability

Recent Examples of spunk from the Web

If some of the traditional events showed off a dog's good breeding, others showed off their spunk and athleticism.

— matthew dolan, Detroit Free Press, "Prized pooches pampered, praised at Detroit Kennel Club annual show," 24 June 2018
But the real therapy doesn't kick in until the patient, a divorced, garden-variety neurotic named Laura (played with an appealing mix of spunk and brokenness by Vera Farmiga ), embarks on that staple of Hollywood renewal: the road trip.

— michael o'sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "'Boundaries' review: A family road trip to reconciliation and maybe, understanding," 28 June 2018
Rachel has an innate spunk, a natural beauty and inherent charm and likability, which is so important for the role of Midge and the audience's willingness and desire to go on her journey.

— rebecca ford, The Hollywood Reporter, "How to Cast Serial Killers and Wrestlers," 18 June 2018
For a while, McCarthy and Chelmsford’s spunk kept them in the game.

— josh schafer, BostonGlobe.com, "Needham gets past Natick, advances to boys’ state volleyball final," 19 June 2018
At Gonzaga, Laura has used that spunk to establish herself as one of the Zags’ X-factors.

— lindsay schnell, USA TODAY, "Laura Stockton, like her dad did, delivers drive, grit and assists for Gonzaga," 6 Mar. 2018
The girl who had no choice but to develop grit and spunk, to look out for herself.

— jessica knoll, Time, "Jessica Knoll's New Book, The Favorite Sister, Explores Ambition and Motherhood," 31 May 2018
Kathryn Newton displays spunk and style as the mischievous Amy.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'Little Women': PBS honors a classic," 10 May 2018
But spunk, determination and a growing push for gentrification have brought major changes.

— New York Times, "5 New York Times Writers on What They Got Right and Wrong in the Early ’80s," 13 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spunk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of spunk

Scottish Gaelic spong sponge, tinder, from Middle Irish spongc, from Latin spongia sponge

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1582

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

spunk Synonyms

spunk

verb

Definition of spunk

spunked; spunking; spunks

intransitive verb

dialect

: to show spirit —usually used with up

First Known Use of spunk

1840

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Other Dialect Terms

bespoke, boughten, lave, muchacho, nigh, thunk, toboggan

SPUNK Defined for English Language Learners

spunk

noun

Definition of spunk for English Language Learners

: spirit, courage, and determination

SPUNK Defined for Kids

spunk

noun \ ˈspəŋk \

Definition of spunk for Students

: courage, spirit

History for spunk

The English word spunk comes from spong, a word in Scottish Gaelic (the traditional language of northern Scotland) that meant “tinder” or “sponge.” This word, in turn, came from Latin spongia, “sponge.” The English word at first meant “tinder,” which is a spongy material that catches fire easily. Since the human spirit can also be thought of as catching fire, spunk came to mean “spirit.”