dunk

American  

[duhngk] / dʌŋk /

verb (used with object)

1. to dip (a doughnut, cake, etc.) into coffee, milk, or the like, before eating.

2. to submerge in a liquid.

   She dunked the curtains in the dye.

3. Basketball. to attempt to thrust (a ball) through the basket using a dunk shot.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dip or submerge something, oneself, etc., in a liquid.

   She thinks it's vulgar to dunk. Let's dunk in the pool before dinner.

2. Basketball. to execute or attempt a dunk shot.

noun

1. any flavorful sauce, dip, gravy, etc., into which portions of food are dipped before eating.

2. Basketball. dunk shot.

dunk British  

/ dʌŋk /

verb

1. to dip (bread, etc) in tea, soup, etc, before eating

2. to submerge or be submerged in liquid

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Usage

What does dunk mean? Dunk means to dip or submerge something in liquid or something like a liquid. More specifically, it can refer to dipping foods into liquids or sauces or dips, like dunking a doughnut into coffee before eating it (but not for so long that it gets too soggy and part of it falls in—it’s a delicate process). In basketball, to dunk is to put the ball directly into the hoop, especially forcefully (this kind of dunking is the opposite of delicate). Such a shot is called a dunk or a slam-dunk or a slam or a jam or a stuff or a throw-down (or even more colorful names, if you’re Darryl Dawkins). Example: I like to dunk my fries into the milkshake—don’t knock it till you try it.

Other Word Forms

• dunkable
  adjective
• dunker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of dunk

An Americanism first recorded in 1865–70; from Pennsylvania Dutch dunke “to dip, immerse”; compare German tunken, Middle High German dunken, tunken, Old High German thunkōn, dunkōn

Example Sentences

Two years later, Candace Parker won the annual Slam Dunk Contest, defeating, among others, JR Smith and Josh Smith, both of whom would be NBA first-round picks within months.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

AT&T remains the title sponsor of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest, which Sprite sponsored for much of the 2000s and the first half of the 2010s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Baelor, a politician and a feudal dynast, might understand on some level that by fighting with Dunk, he is, in his own way, upholding the dignity of the crown and keeping the commoners placated.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

For all his introspection, Dunk wrongfully justifies his own survival as a transaction — a king-to-be traded for a commoner.

From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026

This he did, and won the hand of the lady, paying her the compliment of adopting the name of Dunk, and conveniently hiding it under his title.

From The Viceroys of Ireland by O'Mahony, Charles

Related Words

• douse
• soak