FUNK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Funk mean? 

• FUNK (noun)
  The noun FUNK has 3 senses:

1. a state of nervous depression

2. United States biochemist (born in Poland) who showed that several diseases were caused by dietary deficiencies and who coined the term 'vitamin' for the chemicals involved (1884-1967)

3. an earthy type of jazz combining it with blues and soul; has a heavy bass line that accentuates the first beat in the bar

  Familiarity information: FUNK used as a noun is uncommon.

• FUNK (verb)
  The verb FUNK has 1 sense:

1. draw back, as with fear or pain

  Familiarity information: FUNK used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FUNK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A state of nervous depression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

blue funk; funk

Context example:

he was in a funk

Hypernyms ("funk" is a kind of...):

depression (a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

United States biochemist (born in Poland) who showed that several diseases were caused by dietary deficiencies and who coined the term 'vitamin' for the chemicals involved (1884-1967)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Casimir Funk; Funk

Instance hypernyms:

biochemist (someone with special training in biochemistry)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An earthy type of jazz combining it with blues and soul; has a heavy bass line that accentuates the first beat in the bar

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("funk" is a kind of...):

jazz (a genre of popular music that originated in New Orleans around 1900 and developed through increasingly complex styles)

Derivation:

funky ((of jazz) having the soulful feeling of early blues)

• FUNK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they funk    ... he / she / it funks   
Past simple: funked   
Past participle: funked   
-ing form: funking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Draw back, as with fear or pain

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

cringe; flinch; funk; quail; recoil; shrink; squinch; wince

Context example:

she flinched when they showed the slaughtering of the calf

Hypernyms (to "funk" is one way to...):

move (move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "funk"):

retract; shrink back (pull away from a source of disgust or fear)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP