What does "dank" mean?
Moisture; humidity; water.
Dank
/dæŋk/ adj, noun, verb, slang
adj, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Moisture; humidity; water.
- Grammar: dank is listed as adj, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: awesome, boggy, clammy, damp.
- Useful contrasts: muggy, reggie, arid.
- Usage evidence: The dank cave was chilly and spooky.
How to use "dank"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dank" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "dank" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "dank" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dank" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "dank" is acting as adj, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "awesome" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "dank", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Moisture; humidity; water. uncountable
"The ravviſh danke of clumzie vvinter ramps / The fluent ſummers vaine: and drizling ſleete / Chilleth the vvan bleak cheek of the numd earth, / VVhilſt ſnarling guſts nibble the iuyceles leaues, / From the nak't ſhuddring branch; […]"
- 2 A small silver coin formerly used in Persia. historical
- 3 Dankness; a dark, moist and usually unpleasant atmosphere. uncountable
"You ain't thinking of getting rid of the dank, are you, Moe?"
- 4 Strong, high-quality cannabis. slang, uncountable
"I got more growin' pains than Maggie / 'Cause homies nag me to take the dank out of the baggie"
Verb
- 1 To moisten, dampen; used of mist, dew etc. intransitive, obsolete
Adjective
- 1 Dark, damp and humid.
"The dank cave was chilly and spooky."
- 2 Moist and sticky, (by extension) highly potent. figuratively
"That was dank bud."
- 3 Great, awesome. Internet, ironic, often
- 4 Expounding right-wing views in a cool way; based.
"His house organ Breitbart and a host of Trump-right websites and news outlets sang praises to his dank genius."
Adjective
- 1 unpleasantly cool and humid wordnet
- 2 of high quality especially of marijuana wordnet
Example
"The dank cave was chilly and spooky."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dank"?
Common synonyms include: awesome, boggy, clammy, damp, damp, dampish.
How do you use "dank" in a sentence?
The dank cave was chilly and spooky.
How do you pronounce "dank"?
Pronounced /dæŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English danke (“wet, damp; dampness, moisture”), probably from North Germanic, related to Swedish dank (“marshy spot”), Icelandic dökk (“pool”), Old Norse dǫkk (“pit, depression”), from Proto-Germanic *dankwaz (“dark”). However, some trace it to a West Germanic source such as Dutch damp (“vapor”) or Middle High German damph, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dampaz (“smoke, steam, vapor”). Modern slang senses derived from the drug sense; compare based (“awesome, especially in a right-wing context online”) from drug terminology freebased.
Etymology 2
From Middle English danken, from the adjective (see above).