funky
1 Americanadjective
adjective
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Jazz. having an earthy, blues-based quality or character.
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having an offensive smell; evil-smelling; foul.
adjective
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(of music) passionate, soulful; of or pertaining to funk
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authentic; earthy
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stylish and exciting; cool
funky jeans
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of funky1
First recorded in 1830–40; funk 1 + -y 1
Origin of funky2
Explanation
Something that's funky has a strong musical rhythm or beat, and a deep bluesy sound. You might practice some funky bass lines before auditioning for your school's jazz band. Funky tunes have some of the spirit of the 1960s-era music genre called funk, a branch of R&B that's influenced by soul and jazz music. Rhythm is so important in funky music that the drums and bass are emphasized, melody less so. Based on this cool music, funky also means "stylish" or "hip:" "Mom, those pants are totally funky." The word's original meaning, however, was "stinky," specifically when discussing the smell of aged cheese.
Vocabulary lists containing funky
A Good Kind of Trouble
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With the Fire on High
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Words for Cheese Writers
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His restaurant, the Funky Burger, is located minutes from Rose Barracks—named for Maj.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
His neighbour is good friends with "Funky Tom", the renowned mushroom expert called upon by the prosecution – who coincidentally was also the person who had posted the sighting of the fungi here.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2025
“Dan is a genuine lover of hip-hop,” says Dan the Automator, who’s known for his work with Kool Keith, Prince Paul and Del the Funky Homosapien, among other acts.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2024
In fact, he reports, their start-up company, Funky Fungus, has already started to translate the findings for developing designer cultivars.
From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2023
Funky, funky, funky, we sing again and again until the word is just a sound not connected to anything good or bad right or wrong.
From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
