stunk: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
ModerateInformal
Quick answer
What does “stunk” mean?
Past tense and past participle of 'stink', meaning to have emitted a strong, unpleasant smell.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Past tense and past participle of 'stink', meaning to have emitted a strong, unpleasant smell.
Figuratively, to have performed very poorly or to have been of very low quality.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Similar in both varieties, but figurative use ('performed badly') is slightly more common in American English.
Connotations
In both dialects, implies strong negativity regarding smell or quality.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both British and American English, primarily in casual speech.
Grammar
How to Use “stunk” in a Sentence
intransitive: 'The food stunk.'transitive with particle: 'It stunk up the kitchen.'Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “stunk” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The bins stunk after the heatwave.
- His idea stunk from the start.
American English
- The trash stunk up the whole garage.
- That movie stunk, so we left early.
adjective
British English
- The stunk-up room needed airing.
- A stunk-out cellar is a health hazard.
American English
- The stunk-out attic was avoided.
- A stunk-up car is unpleasant to drive.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare; if used, metaphorically: 'The deal stunk from the beginning.'
Academic
Uncommon; might appear in informal critiques or descriptive writing.
Everyday
Common in casual conversation to describe bad smells or poor outcomes.
Technical
Not typical; reserved for literal descriptions of odor in fields like chemistry or biology.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “stunk”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “stunk”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “stunk”
- Using 'stinked' instead of 'stunk'
- Overusing 'stunk' in formal contexts where 'smelled unpleasant' is preferred.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, 'stank' is also used as a past tense, but 'stunk' is more common as the past participle and in informal contexts.
It is generally avoided in formal writing due to its informal register; alternatives like 'emitted an unpleasant odor' or 'performed poorly' are preferred.
Pronounce it as /stʌŋk/ in both British and American English, with the 'u' as in 'cup' and 'nk' as in 'sink'.
Common phrases include 'stunk up' (made something smell bad), 'stunk out' (filled a space with bad smell), and 'stunk to high heaven' (smelled extremely bad).
Past tense and past participle of 'stink', meaning to have emitted a strong, unpleasant smell.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “stunk to high heaven”
- “stunk the place out”
- “stunk of failure”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Rhymes with 'drunk'; both are irregular past forms ('drink' -> 'drunk', 'stink' -> 'stunk').
Conceptual Metaphor
BAD SMELL IS LOW QUALITY or FAILURE.
Practice
Quiz
In figurative use, what does 'stunk' typically imply?