dank

[dangk]

adjective

danker, dankest 

1. unpleasantly moist or humid; damp and, often, chilly.

   a dank cellar.

   Synonyms: soggy, sticky, muggy, clammy, wet

2. Slang.,  (of marijuana) excellent; high quality.

   There was plenty of booze and dank weed at the party.

3. Slang.,  (of an internet meme) passé or clichéd; out of touch; having missed the cultural Zeitgeist.

noun

1. Slang.,  high-quality marijuana.

   We were just chilling out and smoking dank together.

dank

/ dæŋk /

adjective

1. (esp of cellars, caves, etc) unpleasantly damp and chilly

Other Word Forms

• dankly adverb
• dankness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dank¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English probably from Scandinavian; compare dialectal Swedish dänka, Norwegian dynke “to moisten,” cognate with Old Norse dǫkk “water hole”

Word History and Origins

Origin of dank¹

C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish dank marshy spot

Example Sentences

More time spent scrolling dank memes and reels on social media or bingeing the “King of the Hill” reboot on Hulu means less time for the latest pick from Oprah’s Book Club.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A dank, earthy odor hung in the air, as if mounds of fresh pencil shavings had been scattered over a newly excavated farm plot.

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Many seats, located behind thick steel girders, have obstructed views and the stadium can feel dark and dank on cold Liverpool nights.

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More than 1.4 million people visit each year, walking through the dank cell blocks and taking in exhibits on the Native American occupation.

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On death row, he built a life amid the dank cells of concrete and iron stacked five stories high.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chilly 
• damp 
• humid 
• muggy 
• steamy 
• sticky 
• wet 

When To Use

What else does dank mean?

When not describing something as "moist" and "humid" like a basement, dank is a slang term describing something as "excellent," especially marijuana.Dank can also refer to memes that are played out or extremely weird.