funk
Mental depression.
Noun
- Mental depression.
- I've been in a funk lately, I fell into a funk, I slipped into a funk, I was stuck in a funk
- it helped me get out of a funk
- A state of fear or panic, especially cowardly.
- [The helmsman] steered with no end of a swagger while you were by; but if he lost sight of you, he became instantly the prey of an abject funk […] - 1899 March, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s...
- —A woful lunatic, Mulligan said. Were you in a funk? - 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1: Telemachus]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], →OCLC, part I [Telemachia], page 4:
- Holmes was coming upstairs. Holmes would burst open the door. Holmes would say, “In a funk, eh?” Holmes would get him. - 1925 May 14, Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway, London: Leonard and Virginia Woolf at The Hogarth...
- One who fears or panics; a coward.
- It is the long probation in the old way of teaching that fellows funk at or makes funks of them and their slow pace, almost up to the end of that probation, all who teach themselves are in a worse predicament as the...
Origin
1743, Scottish and Northern English dialectal word, originally a verb meaning “to panic, fail due to panic”. Perhaps from or cognate with obsolete Dutch fonck (“distress, agitation”), from Middle Dutch fonck (“perturbation, agitation”). More at flunk.
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Noun Entry 2
- Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odor.
- The foulest stench is in the air; the funk of 40,000 years and grizzly ghouls from every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. - 1982, “Thriller”, in Rod Temperton (lyrics), Quincy Jones (music), Thriller, performed by...
- A style of music derived from 1960s soul music, with elements of rock and other styles, characterized by a prominent bass guitar, dance-friendly sound, a strong emphasis on the downbeat, and much syncopation.
Origin
1620, from French dialectal (Norman) funquer, funquier (“to smoke, reek”), from Old Northern French fungier (“to smoke”), from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre (“to smoke, fumigate”). Related to French dialect funkière (“smoke”). More at fumigate.
Forms
Derived
avant-funk blue funk deep funk disco funk drumfunk dundy-funk dundy funk electro-funk electrofunk fake the funk funkabilly funkadelia funkadelic funk art funkateer funkcore funk hole funkification funk-like funklike funkmaster funk metal funk-metal funk money
Noun obsolete
- Touchwood, punk, tinder.
Origin
From Middle English funke, fonke (“spark”), from Old English *funca (“spark”), from Proto-Germanic *funkô (“spark”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peng- (“to shine”). Cognate with Middle Low German funke, fanke (“spark”), Middle Dutch vonke (“spark”), Old High German funcho, funko (“spark”), German Funke (“spark”). See also spunk.
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Verb Entry 4
- To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
- To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke.
- He funks Basketia and her son to death - c. 1709, William King, The Furmentary:
- Funking a cobbler – that is, blowing smoke into his stall; smoking cigars at divans and club houses; […] - 2012, M. C. Beaton, Diana the Huntress:
- To perform funk music.
- From the earliest part of this decade when he funked in relative obscurity to his days as a superstar with the release of his Batman soundtrack last summer, I could almost always count on Prince. - 1989 December 17,...
- Fuck (the taboo swear word).
- Funk this!
- Snow bunny, I pledge to funk you baby / You sexy lady, my only temptation […] Oh, I just want to funk you - 2017, Bootsy Collins, “Snow Bunny”, in World Wide Funk:
- Look, glittery tacos have their place. A date, business lunch, night out with besties, etc. But otherwise, paying almost 20 bucks for pizzazz between a few tortillas in Huntsville, funk that. - 2023 November 25, Matt...
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Verb Entry 5
- To shrink from, or avoid something because of fear.
- He'll have funked it, when he comes to the edge, and sees nothing but mist below - 1857, Charles Kingsley, “(please specify the page)”, in Two Years Ago, volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Cambridge,...
- It is the long probation in the old way of teaching that fellows funk at or makes funks of them and their slow pace, almost up to the end of that probation, all who teach themselves are in a worse predicament as the...
- "Always wanted a go at the figure. Funked it. Shows what a man can do, given the right model. Dam' good model." - 1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962,...
- To frighten; to cause to flinch.