pluck

American  

[pluhk] / plʌk /

verb (used with object)

• plucks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plucked,
  past participle,  past
• plucking
  present participle

1. to pull off or out from the place of growth, as fruit, flowers, feathers, etc..

   to pluck feathers from a chicken.

2. to give a pull at; grasp.

   to pluck someone's sleeve.

   Synonyms:

   tug

3. to pull with sudden force or with a jerk.

   Synonyms:

   rip, tear, yank

4. to pull or move by force (often followed by away, off, orout ).

5. to remove the feathers, hair, etc., from by pulling.

   to pluck a chicken.

6. Slang. to rob, plunder, or fleece.

7. to sound (the strings of a musical instrument) by pulling at them with the fingers or a plectrum.

---

verb (used without object)

• plucks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• plucked,
  past participle,  past
• plucking
  present participle

1. to pull or tug sharply (often followed byat ).

2. to snatch (often followed byat ).

noun

1. act of plucking; a tug.

2. the heart, liver, and lungs, especially of an animal used for food.

3. courage or resolution in the face of difficulties.

   Synonyms:

   nerve, mettle, determination, boldness, bravery

verb phrase

1. pluck up

   1. to eradicate; uproot.

   2. to summon up one's courage; rouse one's spirits.

      He always plucked up at the approach of danger. She was a stranger in the town, but, plucking up her courage, she soon made friends.

pluck British  

/ plʌk /

verb

1. (tr) to pull off (feathers, fruit, etc) from (a fowl, tree, etc)

2. to pull or tug

3. archaic (tr; foll by off, away, etc) to pull (something) forcibly or violently (from something or someone)

4. (tr) to sound (the strings) of (a musical instrument) with the fingers, a plectrum, etc

5. (tr) another word for strip 1

6. slang (tr) to fleece or swindle

---

noun

1. courage, usually in the face of difficulties or hardship

2. a sudden pull or tug

3. the heart, liver, and lungs, esp of an animal used for food

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• plucker
  noun
• half-plucked
  adjective
• unplucked
  adjective
• well-plucked
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• plucking
  present
• plucked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pluck
  simple
• plucks
  simple
• have plucked
  perfect
• has plucked
  perfect
• am plucking
  progressive
• are plucking
  progressive
• is plucking
  progressive
• have been plucking
  perfect progressive
• has been plucking
  perfect progressive

Past

• plucked
  simple
• had plucked
  perfect
• was plucking
  progressive
• were plucking
  progressive
• had been plucking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pluck
  simple
• will have plucked
  perfect
• will be plucking
  progressive
• will have been plucking
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pluck

before 1000; Middle English plukken (v.), Old English pluccian, cognate with Middle Low German plucken; akin to Dutch plukken, German pflücken

Explanation

To pluck is to pick or pull a single item out of many, like a flower or a hair. As a noun, pluck is energy or enthusiasm, even when things are looking grim. Don't pluck only the best cherries off the tree: that's cherry-picking! Before you cook a goose, you need to pluck its feathers. If it looks like your goose is cooked, however, then show some pluck, and figure out a way to save yourself. Some characters who are famous for showing pluck include the Artful Dodger, Little Orphan Annie, and Benji the dog. They all kept their chins up and kept on trying, even when things looked really dark.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pluck plucks plucked plucking

On a Wednesday in February in the Coachella Valley, more than two dozen farmworkers weaved up and down rows of strawberries, their gloved hands flicking quickly to pluck the fruit and stash it in boxes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

She brings a sort of Disney princess innocence and pluck to Anna, which makes sense considering she played Ariel in the live-action “The Little Mermaid.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026

Bethell's performances have vindicated England's decision to pluck him from relative obscurity.

From BBC ● Mar. 6, 2026

Many of the planes are museum pieces, kept flying with scrounged parts and pluck, and stand little chance against modern warplanes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026

Then running around the house looking for tweezers to pluck it out.

From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson

The worker plucks the items out of the bin and places them on another robot that resembles a toy Tonka truck.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

And it plucks a nerve in a country still scarred by its history of militarism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

In each show Taylor plucks someone from the audience and gives them her hat which is a nod to the outfit she wore in the music video for her 2012 single.

From BBC ● Jun. 19, 2024

At this point, Sparks plucks each of the rooted slips off the sweet potato and plants them about a foot apart from one another in dirt that’s at least a foot deep.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

Then he plucks out a false bottom followed by six velvet bundles.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

Four years later he plucked up the courage to ring him up, and after several more calls they met in person and eventually Prince Laurent suggested they take a DNA test.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

As the smoke from France's worst wildfire in over 75 years rose over the Bassin d'Arcachon, a pair of nearby firefighters tucked into a plate of oysters plucked from the bay west of Bordeaux.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Ms. Salvant’s 2023 release, “Mélusine,” included songs that dated back to the 12th century, sung in four languages, and made prominent use of the theorbo, the plucked lute used for Baroque basso continuo accompaniment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

In the past, studios have plucked influencers from their online niche and slotted them into whatever mainstream production needed a face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

She plucked a tiny twig stuck in one of her French braids.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova

Truist Financial TFC -0.60%decrease; red down pointing triangle has hired Michael Lyons as its next president and chief executive, plucking the executive from Fiserv.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

"One of my recent tricks is to find any weird chord that may intrigue me," plucking the opening notes of As You Lie There on an acoustic guitar.

From BBC ● May 27, 2026

It bursts with insights that mix journalistic acumen with gossip, backed by a score generously seasoned with mischievous violin string plucking.

From Salon ● Mar. 14, 2026

She’s over wasting time plucking chin hairs, searching for brain fog-induced lost reading glasses and — most of all — withholding her opinions so as not to offend others.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 20, 2026

Miranda said, taking a step closer to Naomi and plucking the sleeve of Gilbert’s jacket between index finger and thumb.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez

Related Words

• clutch
• cull
• harvest
• snatch
• strum
• yank