funked; funking; funks
: to become frightened and shrink back
1
a
: a state of paralyzing fear
b
: a depressed state of mind
3
: slump sense 1
an economic funk
the team went into a funk
1
: music that combines elements of rhythm and blues and soul music and that is characterized by a percussive vocal style, static harmonies, and a strong bass line with heavy downbeats
2
: the quality or state of being funky
jeans … have lost much of their funk—
Tom Wolfe
Tom WolfeSynonyms
Examples of funk in a Sentence
Noun (1)
the overpowering funk of rotten meat emanated from the garbage bin
Noun (2)
he may be a strong, athletic guy, but he's a real funk when it comes to donating blood
Recent Examples on the WebJem Aswad, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Since as early on as his second album, the underrated 2015 collection The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, Clark has embraced everything from fuzzy rock to funk to Prince-ly psychedelia.
—Joe Gross, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for funk 
Verb
All three are excellent musicians, but Spear is a marvel, playing with a fluid style that incorporates multiple influences, from rock to African to blues to funk to Duane Eddy twang, with an innate sense of melody that carries the entire band.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Since as early on as his second album, the underrated 2015 collection The Story of Sonny Boy Slim, Clark has embraced everything from fuzzy rock to funk to Prince-ly psychedelia.
—Joe Gross, Rolling Stone, 21 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for funk
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'funk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Funk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funk. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
funk
1 of 4 noun
: a strong bad smell
funk
2 of 4 verb1
: to be or become frightened of
2
: to shrink back from in fear
funk
3 of 4 noun1
a
: great fear
b
: a depressed state of mind
2
: coward
3
: slump entry 2
the team went into a funk
funk
4 of 4 noun
: music that combines forms of blues, gospel, or soul music and has a strong backbeat
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