flunk
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
-
to fail to get a passing mark in.
to flunk math.
-
to give a failing grade to; remove (a student) as unqualified from a school or course.
noun
verb phrase
verb
-
to fail or cause to fail to reach the required standard in (an examination, course, etc)
-
to be dismissed from a school or college through failure in examinations
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flunk
Explanation
To flunk is to do poorly on a test or in a class. One way to avoid flunking is to start studying several nights before a test. People have been flunking things ever since there were schools. However, we’ve only been calling it flunking since the 1800s. Originally, flunk could mean “to fail” or “to give up.” That’s a good reminder that sometimes, to avoid flunking, you just need to keep trying.
Vocabulary lists containing flunk
"Enabling or Disabling?" and "This I Believe"
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"Sparky"
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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.
It’s saying, “Oh, yay, I get to flunk another math test this week,” when what you mean is that you are freaked out about your consistently terrible grades in math class.
From Salon • Nov. 29, 2024
If you flunk three times, as Moon did before passing on her fourth try, you have to pay another $41 fee to start a new round of test-taking.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 7, 2023
This other teacher is going to flunk me.
From Scientific American • Oct. 13, 2022
In her first year at college, as she studied to be a nuclear engineer, her depression led her to flunk out and return home, too crippled to get out of bed.
From Washington Post • Oct. 21, 2021
He probably thinks he can still get help with his woodblocks so he won’t flunk our last assignment.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
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.
