Funky Meaning
/fʌŋki/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjOffbeat, unconventional or eccentric.
adjNot quite right; of questionable quality; not appropriate to the context.
Sentence Examples
Yanni's breath smelt funky.
Ziri and Rima smelt funky.
I used a lambic ferment to capture some really funky flavours.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old cheese smelled ____ because it had been left out too long.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She decorated her new apartment with a lot of ____ and colorful furniture that reflected her unique personality.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree English funk Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English funky From funk + -y.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"By the tone of her voice I could tell she had a funky attitude, but I kept my head under the covers and didn't say shit."
— 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 143:
"What every teenage driver desires: a fab, funky car and freedom!"
— 2006, Sue Cook, Claire Crompton, Quick to Stitch Cross Stitch Cards, page 60:
"They could scarcely bear their knowledge, nor could they have borne the sight of Rufus, but they knew why he was in the streets tonight, why he rode subways all night long, why his stomach growled, why his hair was nappy, his armpits funky, his pants and shoes too thin, and why he did not dare to stop and take a leak."
— 1962, James Baldwin, Another Country, New York, N. Y.: The Dial Press, published January 1963, page 4:
"JAMES CARTER: You smell a little funky; I think you stepped in some rat shit."
— 2001, Jeff Nathanson, Rush Hour 2, New Line Cinema:
"My husband thinks I'm bathing them more, but I'm not, they just lost that funky smell."
— 2017, Bruce Fife, Coconut Therapy for Pets, page 47:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old cheese smelled ____ because it had been left out too long.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She decorated her new apartment with a lot of ____ and colorful furniture that reflected her unique personality.