What does "dunk" mean?
The act or instance of dunking, particularly in basketball.
Dunk
/dʌŋk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or instance of dunking, particularly in basketball.
- Grammar: dunk is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dunk shot, baptize, bath, bathing.
- Useful contrasts: block, emersion, lift.
- Usage evidence: Tom likes to dunk his biscuit in his coffee.
How to use "dunk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "dunk" 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 "dunk" 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 "dunk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "dunk" 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 "dunk" is acting as name, noun, verb 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 "dunk shot" 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 "dunk", 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 The act or instance of dunking, particularly in basketball.
"The point guard threaded a pass with pinpoint precision to the power forward for an easy dunk."
- 2 a basketball shot in which the basketball is propelled downward into the basket wordnet
Verb
- 1 To submerge briefly in a liquid. transitive
"I like to dunk my donut in my apple cider."
- 2 dip into a liquid while eating wordnet
- 3 To set down carelessly. transitive
"Parents shouldn't just dunk their kids in front of the TV."
- 4 immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate wordnet
- 5 To put the ball directly downward through the hoop while grabbing onto the rim with power. ambitransitive
"The center spun quickly and dunked the ball with authority."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 make a dunk shot, in basketball wordnet
- 7 To put down on social media [with on]. Internet, intransitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A locality in Cassowary Coast Region, Queensland, Australia, which includes the Family Islands; one is Dunk Island, named after George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax. countable, uncountable
Example
"Tom likes to dunk his biscuit in his coffee."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "dunk"?
Common synonyms include: dunk shot, baptize, bath, bathing, bury, dabbling.
How do you use "dunk" in a sentence?
Tom likes to dunk his biscuit in his coffee.
How do you pronounce "dunk"?
Pronounced /dʌŋk/.
Etymology
From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic *þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to moisten, wet”). Cognate with German tunken (“to dunk”), Latin tingō (“to wet, moisten”), Ancient Greek τέγγω (téngō, “to wet, moisten”). Related to taint, tincture, tint.