cowering fear; state of great fright or terror.
a dejected mood.
He's been in a funk ever since she walked out on him.
Also called: blue funk. a state of nervousness, fear, or depression (esp in the phrase in a funk )
a coward
to flinch from (responsibility) through fear
(tr; usually passive) to make afraid
First recorded in 1735–45; originally Oxford University slang; perhaps from early Dutch dialect (in de) fonck “in difficulties;” further origin unknown
First recorded in 1615–25; perhaps from North French dialect funquier, funquer “give off smoke,” Old North French fungier, from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre fumigate
If you're in a funk, it means that you've been feeling sad. You might be in a serious funk after your best friend moves across the country. One way to use funk is to mean "blues" or "depression." Everyone's in a funk sometimes — for some people, the shorter, darker winter days automatically put them in a bit of a funk. Funk also refers to a bluesy kind of music with a strong underlying bass rhythm. It comes from funky, which means "stinky" or "musty smelling," from the French funkière, "smoke." In African American music, funky became a compliment, a description of soulful, earthy music — like funk itself.
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But this one, her sixth, dances us through her evolution and many revolutions, serving up everything from jazz to funk to Chicago house on the dance track “Right Here Right Now.”
From Salon • Jun. 5, 2026
Ronald LaPread, a co-founder and former bassist of the funk and soul group the Commodores, has died.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Festivalgoers were spilling out of the tent to catch a glimpse of their percussive, high energy performance that straddles the line between jazz, funk, reggae and carnival.
From BBC • May 24, 2026
The Texas Gentlemen get categorized as country, but their range, well-demonstrated on the new album, includes raucous roots rock, electric blues and funk, all of which are called for in this rewardingly diversified set.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026
Fadi was glad to see her coming out of her funk, but he was in no mood to celebrate.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
