dunk
B2Informal to neutral, with the basketball sense being common in sports contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To dip something, especially food, briefly into a liquid before eating it.
To push someone or something briefly under the surface of a liquid, especially water; (in basketball) to score by jumping and thrusting the ball down through the basket with one or both hands.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core meaning focuses on the brief, intentional nature of the submersion, often for a specific purpose (like adding flavour or cooling). The basketball sense is a highly specialised extension of the 'downward thrust' concept.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The literal 'dip in liquid' meaning is common in both. The basketball sense ('slam dunk') is understood in the UK but is less culturally central than in the US, where it is a major sports term.
Connotations
In the US, 'dunk' is strongly associated with basketball skill and spectacle. In the UK, its primary association remains with dipping food (e.g., a biscuit in tea).
Frequency
The verb 'to dunk' is more frequent in American English due to the prominence of basketball. The noun 'dunk' (the act) is almost exclusively American sports jargon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[S] dunk [O] (in [liquid])[S] dunk [O] (into [liquid])[S] dunk ([O] under [water])Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “slam dunk (a certainty)”
- “dunk on someone (to humiliate or outdo spectacularly, from basketball)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used metaphorically: 'The new product launch was a slam dunk.'
Academic
Rare, except in descriptive studies of food culture or sports science.
Everyday
Common for describing dipping food in a drink. In the US, common in sports talk.
Technical
Specific to basketball coaching and analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He likes to dunk his rich tea biscuit in his tea.
- The children dared each other to dunk their heads in the icy pond.
American English
- She dunked her donut in the milk.
- He dunked over two defenders to win the game.
adjective
British English
- Dunkable biscuits are a British institution.
- The new basketball shoes are designed for dunk performance.
American English
- These are the most dunkable cookies ever.
- He has incredible dunk ability.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I dunk my cookie in milk.
- Don't dunk your phone in water!
- He dunked the apple slices in caramel sauce.
- The player tried to dunk but missed.
- It's considered bad manners to dunk your bread in soup at a formal dinner.
- Her decisive argument was a slam dunk for the prosecution.
- The documentary explored the cultural history of dunking biscuits in Britain.
- The politician's gaffe allowed his opponent to dunk on him during the debate.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a DONKEY (sounds like 'dunk') dipping its nose briefly into a bucket of water to drink.
Conceptual Metaphor
SUCCESS IS A FORCEFUL DOWNWARD MOTION (from basketball: a 'slam dunk' success).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'donkey' (осёл).
- The basketball 'dunk' is 'бросок сверху' or 'данк'.
- The food 'dunk' is 'макать'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'dunk' for prolonged soaking (use 'soak').
- Confusing 'dunk' (brief dip) with 'drink' (consume liquid).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'dunk' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is generally informal or neutral. It is perfectly acceptable in everyday conversation but might be replaced with 'immerse' or 'submerge' in very formal writing.
They are often interchangeable for food, but 'dunk' implies a slightly more vigorous or thorough brief submersion, often for the purpose of saturation (like a biscuit absorbing tea). 'Dip' can be a lighter, more superficial contact.
Yes, primarily in American English in the context of basketball ('He made an amazing dunk'). It can also refer to the act of dipping food ('a quick dunk in my coffee'), though this is less common.
It extends from the core meaning of 'to thrust something down into something else.' The motion of forcefully putting the ball down into the basket is conceptually similar to dunking an object into liquid.