noun
-
a large piece
-
Also called: hunk of a man. slang a well-built, sexually attractive man
Etymology
Origin of hunk
First recorded in 1805–15, hunk is from the Dutch dialect word hunke
Explanation
A hunk is a piece or a chunk or a lump, something without a definite shape. You might eat a hunk of cheese or play with a hunk of clay. If you call someone a hunk, you think he’s hot. For a casual dinner you might just grab a hunk of bread off the loaf and dip it in beef stew, which is full of hunks of meat and potatoes. A completely different type of hunk is a handsome man: "When did your cousin turn into such a hunk?" Hubba hubba! This second meaning dates from around 1945, from African American slang.
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.
Eaten with a hunk of sourdough, it made me feel — at least for twenty blessed minutes — like things were right with the world.
From Salon • May 12, 2026
That’s a serious hunk of the electorate up for grabs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025
I don’t go for a $75 hunk of meat more than once a year — but that’s not really why I go.
From Salon • Sep. 2, 2025
Nathan Fillion straddles the line between everyman and hunk — and he’s built a career out of it.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2025
Safari Hat examined the little hunk of chew-marked red before turning to find the trash.
From "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" by emily m. danforth
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.
