funk
pronunciation
How to pronounce funk in British English:
UK [fʌŋk]
How to pronounce funk in American English:
US [fʌŋk, fuŋk]
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- Noun:
- a state of nervous depression
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- Verb:
- draw back, as with fear or pain
Word Origin
- funk (n.1)
- "depression, ill-humor," perhaps from earlier sense "cowering state of fear" (1743), identified in OED as originally Oxford slang, probably from Scottish and Northern English verb funk "become afraid, shrink through fear, fail through panic," (1737), of unknown origin. Perhaps from Flemish fonck "perturbation, agitation, distress," which is possibly related to Old French funicle "wild, mad."
- funk (n.2)
- "bad smell," 1620s, probably from the verb funk in the sense "blow smoke upon; stifle with offensive vapor" (though this is not recorded until later 17c.). It is from dialectal French funkière "to smoke," from Old French fungier "give off smoke; fill with smoke," from Latin fumigare "to smoke" (see fume (n.)). Not considered to be related to obsolete funk (n.) "a spark," mid-14c., fonke, a general Germanic word (compare Dutch vonk, Old High German funcho, German Funke. The Middle English word is probably from Low German or from an unrecorded Old English form. In reference to a style of music felt to have a strong, earthy quality, it is attested by 1959, a back-formation from funky (q.v.).
Example
- 1. The markets have snapped out of their funk this month .
- 2. The main culprit , of course , is the funk on wall street .
- 3. When these moments strike , I 've always been a fan of reading quotes to get me out of that funk , whether it 's writing a term paper or coming up with new business ventures .
- 4. With the west in a funk and emerging markets flourishing , the chinese no longer see state-directed firms as a way-station on the road to liberal capitalism ; rather , they see it as a sustainable model .
- 5. Little to no action is taken and you get lost in a funk of sadness and self-pity .