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

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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
There is plenty of hilarious autotune, post-war French dark cabaret, traditional musical theater fare and some steamy disco-like funk energy. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 28 July 2026 Has the two-time All-Star fully emerged from his season-long funk? — Zack Meisel, New York Times, 22 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 Lineage warehouse fire, which erupted a mile away nearly two months ago, still blankets the church every morning with the fetid stench of millions of pounds of rotting food that have yet to be trucked away.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The inescapable stench – equal parts sour and cloying – has settled like a thick haze over the neighborhood, baked by the Southern California heat.
    — Celina Tebor, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of stench
Noun
  • The mythmaking rebellion of Tekena, first of her name, for the sake of a coward’s love was as recognizable to her descendants as their need to cross borders, both ethnic and geographic, in search of a happiness that wasn’t promised.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • In reality, the refs just do the bidding of the cowards behind the curtain.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
Definition of coward
Verb
  • To win a second four-year term, Miami-Dade Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins is running as a fighter against bad development and against ducking tough decisions.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Martin allegedly had both hands on the child's torso when officers found him and was trying to duck down and hide between the seats, according to the warrant cited by the outlet.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of duck
Noun
  • During business class meal service on the international flight, Smyth claims she was served a chicken satay on a wooden skewer.
    — Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026
  • No one wants their buffalo chicken dip seeping into their spinach dip.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of chicken
Verb
  • The best way to avoid West Nile virus infection is to take precautionary measures to avoid mosquito bites.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Kremer has allowed 12 home runs in seven starts this year, avoiding a home run in only one of those turns and ceding multiple homers in three of them.
    — Josh Shepardson, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of avoid
Verb
  • At the end of the last cruise, everyone shunned me, except for Roy, who instead was cruel and insulting to me.
    — Abigail Van Buren, Boston Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Western governments have shunned and sanctioned Min Aung Hlaing and his associates for overthrowing Suu Kyi's government.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of shun
Verb
  • Tarrant County District Attorney In mid-November 1996, Narez shook her daughter, Kasandra White, and threw the child into a wall, causing her head to strike a door, according to the 1999 Tarrant County grand jury indictment.
    — S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • On Monday, in the early morning, cheerleaders flanked the entrance to the courtyard, cheering and shaking their pom-poms as their classmates filed in, showing varying degrees of enthusiasm.
    — Jemma Stephenson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of shake
Verb
  • Today, the fictional villain must also leave the phone behind, hide the license plate, and dodge doorbell cameras, Teslas and an expanding web of digital surveillance.
    — Ethan Baron, Mercury News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Koehn’s video shows Salinas shooting and then dodging, taking cover in the bushes near a thin strip of grass between the drive-thru and Koehn’s car.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 7 Aug. 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 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on funk

Nglish: Translation of funk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about funk

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