plunk

American  

[pluhngk] / plʌŋk /

verb (used with object)

1. to pluck (a stringed instrument or its strings); twang.

   to plunk a guitar.

2. to throw, push, put, drop, etc., heavily or suddenly; plump (often followed bydown ).

   Plunk down your money. She plunked herself down on the seat.

3. to push, shove, toss, etc. (sometimes followed by in, over, etc.).

   to plunk the ball over the net; to plunk a pencil into a drawer.

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verb (used without object)

1. to give forth a twanging sound.

2. to drop heavily or suddenly; plump (often followed bydown ).

   to plunk down somewhere and take a nap.

noun

1. act or sound of plunking.

2. Informal. a direct, forcible blow.

3. Slang. a dollar.

adverb

1. Informal. with a plunking sound.

2. Informal. squarely; exactly.

   The tennis ball landed plunk in the middle of the net.

plunk British  

/ plʌŋk /

verb

1. to pluck (the strings) of (a banjo, harp, etc) or (of such an instrument) to give forth a sound when plucked

2. (often foll by down) to drop or be dropped, esp heavily or suddenly

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noun

1. the act or sound of plunking

2. informal a hard blow

interjection

1. an exclamation imitative of the sound of something plunking

adverb

1. informal exactly; squarely

   plunk into his lap

Etymology

Origin of plunk

First recorded in 1760–70; expressive word akin to pluck

Explanation

To plunk is to abruptly drop an object (or yourself). Your daily routine, for example, might include rushing home after school so you can plunk yourself on the couch to play video games. There are various ways to plunk: A waiter might plunk your hamburger on the table, and you could choose to plunk down a buck as a tip. You can also plunk the string of a guitar or other instrument, by plucking it casually or inexpressively: "I don't really know how to play the ukulele — I just like to plunk the strings." This last meaning is the original one, from an imitation of the sound of a plunk.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

plunk

You could fly into a major metropolitan area like Miami to scout places and easily plunk down your entire $2 million nest egg in one day.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026

John Reed, a 55-year-old IT worker in suburban Atlanta, was ready to plunk down $60,000 on a new Ram truck last year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

Flaherty said he didn’t plunk Tatis on purpose, noting that it was only a two-run game at that point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2024

“There’s still a small population of people who are willing to plunk down the money to buy the Enquirer at the supermarket,” Levine said.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 3, 2024

I lift my walker, twist it a couple of inches to the left, and plunk it down again.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Related Words

• plop