funk 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈfəŋk How to pronounce funk (audio)
Definition of funknext
as in stench
a strong unpleasant smell the overpowering funk of rotten meat emanated from the garbage bin

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

funk

2 of 3

noun (2)

as in coward
a person who shows a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger he may be a strong, athletic guy, but he's a real funk when it comes to donating blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

funk

3 of 3

verb

as in to duck

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of funk
Noun
The headliners are The Breaks, a jazz/funk/roots super-trio of sorts featuring Galactic drummer Stanton Moore, Greyboy Allstars organist Robert Walter, and New Mastersounds guitarist Eddie Roberts. — Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 2 July 2026 Inside, Boxing the Compass, a nautical term for changing direction and reversing course, sounds as if 44 years never passed since Haircut 100 first made their rounds with a spectrum of pop, soul, funk, and jazz. — Tina Eves, SPIN, 1 July 2026
Verb
This public artwork and its function — as in, this party and the space’s purpose — feels like a mirror, a temple to self, a shrine to funk, a dedication and invitation to experience what is still so divine and aspirational about the present moment. — Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026 Music fans are still mourning the death of legendary singer D’Angelo and lauding how the vastness of his musical experiences, from gospel to funk to soul, permeates his catalog. — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for funk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for funk
  1. stench
  2. coward
  3. duck
  4. chicken
  5. avoid
  6. shun
  7. shake
  8. dodge
Noun
  • The overwhelming stench lingered for weeks, and health officials routinely reminded Kansas Citians that the odor did not carry any disease.
    — Kansas City Public Library staff, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
  • Lineage officials said that their top priority as of Monday night was addressing the stench permeating over Boyle Heights due to the spoiled food.
    — Austin Turner, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of stench
Noun
  • That’s the sign of a true coward.
    — Maria Bamford, Vulture, 23 June 2026
  • Fishback showed up at a Donalds campaign event in Lake City on Saturday with a bunch of supporters, shouting through a bullhorn that Donalds was a coward for not debating him and telling him to go back to New York, a reference to Donalds’ childhood in Brooklyn.
    — Jeffrey Schweers, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2026
Definition of coward
Verb
  • Allen kept up unmatchable energy, even when the rain came and forced him to duck behind his suede hat while singing.
    — Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 5 July 2026
  • Collin Morikawa birdied 18 to catch Scheffler and ducked into the clubhouse at 20 under as the rains descended upon the TPC River Highlands.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 29 June 2026
Definition of duck
Noun
  • Buffalo chicken is always a crowd-pleasing flavor profile, and this enchilada-style casserole makes the most of its telltale spice and tang.
    — Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 8 July 2026
  • Stir chicken, blueberries, and red bell pepper into the mixture.
    — Linda Gassenheimer, Boston Herald, 8 July 2026
Definition of chicken
Verb
  • After Betts’ single allowed the Dodgers to take the lead, Tanner Scott (13) shut down the Rockies with back-to-back strikeouts, avoiding the team’s eighth series loss of the season.
    — Liana Handler, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • Refrain from entering water that might carry an electric current and avoid walking through floodwaters.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • SpaceX shunned the conventional boxy satellite designs pretty much everyone else has used for more than a half-century.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 9 July 2026
  • Befitting his scholarly bent, Bouaddi shunned a lot of the distractions that attracted the attention of his contemporaries.
    — Tom Williams, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of shun
Verb
  • The iconic bunny costume moment, when Elle is tricked into showing up to a non-costume party wearing a Playboy bunny get-up, was the catalyst for exploring how Elle was able to shake that humiliation off.
    — Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 6 July 2026
  • This tournament has built credibility by showcasing teams competing at a high level, then shaking hands afterward.
    — Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Read's team says that certain witnesses in the case – including the McCabe and Albert families, and Trooper Brian Tully – are dodging depositions by their team.
    — Kristina Rex, CBS News, 1 July 2026
  • And then there are the access bridges for pedestrians and vehicles at many circuits — the drone has to dodge above these, which also complicates how it can’t be used near spectators.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of dodge

Browse Nearby Words

fungicides
funk
funked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Funk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funk. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on funk

Nglish: Translation of funk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about funk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All