thunk: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
RareInformal, Humorous, Technical (computing)
Quick answer
What does “thunk” mean?
A nonstandard past tense or past participle of the verb 'think', used humorously or in informal computing contexts.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A nonstandard past tense or past participle of the verb 'think', used humorously or in informal computing contexts.
In computer programming jargon, refers to a piece of code or data used to support delayed evaluation or lazy loading.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major geographical difference in usage. Both regions use it in the same informal/humorous and technical contexts.
Connotations
Humorous, rustic, or uneducated when used as a verb form. Technical and precise in computing.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in general language; slightly higher in specific computing communities.
Grammar
How to Use “thunk” in a Sentence
[Subject] thunk (that) [clause] (humorous past)[System] uses a [adjective] thunk (computing)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “thunk” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I thunk about it all night, but I'm still not sure.
- He hadn't thunk it through properly.
American English
- She thunk hard about the problem.
- We should've thunk of that earlier.
adjective
British English
- The thunk mechanism improves performance.
- A thunk table is used for dynamic linking.
American English
- This is a thunk-based lazy evaluator.
- The function uses a thunk wrapper.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Only in specific computer science papers discussing evaluation strategies.
Everyday
Used humorously to mock incorrect grammar or express surprise.
Technical
Used in compiler design, functional programming, and systems programming to denote a delayed computation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “thunk”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “thunk”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “thunk”
- Using 'thunk' seriously as the past tense of 'think' in formal writing.
- Confusing the computing term with 'think'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but with caveats. It is a real technical term in computer science. As a past tense of 'think', it is nonstandard and used only humorously or to represent dialectal speech.
No, unless you are directly quoting humorous dialogue or writing about computer science concepts. Always use 'thought' for the standard past tense of 'think'.
A thunk is a parameterless function used to delay the evaluation of an expression until its value is actually needed. It's a foundational concept for implementing lazy evaluation.
It's a fixed, humorous phrase that deliberately uses the nonstandard 'thunk' to sound folksy, ironic, or surprised. The standard form would be 'Who would have thought it?'
A nonstandard past tense or past participle of the verb 'think', used humorously or in informal computing contexts.
Thunk is usually informal, humorous, technical (computing) in register.
Thunk: in British English it is pronounced /θʌŋk/, and in American English it is pronounced /θʌŋk/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “"Who'd have thunk it?" (humorous expression of surprise)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
"The chunk of code went 'thunk' when it finally ran."
Conceptual Metaphor
THINKING IS A PHYSICAL IMPACT (as in 'it hit me' for an idea).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'thunk' a correct and standard term?