What does "hunk" mean?
A large or dense piece of something.
Hunk
noun, slang
noun, slang ·1 syllable ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A large or dense piece of something.
- Grammar: hunk is listed as noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: lump, accumulation, acervation, agglomerate.
- Useful contrasts: fragment, no change, plain man.
- Usage evidence: Astronomers say they have found definitive evidence that White Dwarf stars form crystal cores made of metallic oxygen and carbon. A white dwarf is a star that is in its final phase of dying before becoming a black dwarf, a cold and lifeless hunk of rock, trillions of years later. Scientists expect that, in about 10 billion years, our own Sun will also become a white dwarf and then later a black dwarf star.
How to use "hunk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hunk" 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 "hunk" 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 "hunk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hunk" 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 "hunk" is acting as noun, 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 "lump" 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 "hunk", 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 A large or dense piece of something.
"a hunk of metal"
- 2 A goal or base in children's games. US
- 3 a large piece of something without definite shape wordnet
- 4 An attractive man, especially one who is muscular. informal
"The unfortunate thing about calling the season seven finale “The Dragon And The Wolf” is you can’t even reference it by name without picturing Daenerys Targaryen’s long-awaited hook-up with Jon Snow, her strapping hunk of an ally and also her nephew."
- 5 a well-built sexually attractive man wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A record of differences between almost contiguous portions of two files (or other sources of information). Differences that are widely separated by areas which are identical in both files would not be part of a single hunk. Differences that are separated by small regions which are identical in both files may comprise a single hunk. Patches are made up of hunks.
- 7 A honyock. US, slang
""You ain't callin' me a country hunk, are you?" "Hell, naw!" Louie backed away and grinned."
Example
"Astronomers say they have found definitive evidence that White Dwarf stars form crystal cores made of metallic oxygen and carbon. A white dwarf is a star that is in its final phase of dying before becoming a black dwarf, a cold and lifeless hunk of rock, trillions of years later. Scientists expect that, in about 10 billion years, our own Sun will also become a white dwarf and then later a black dwarf star."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hunk"?
Common synonyms include: lump, accumulation, acervation, agglomerate, agglomeration, aggregate.
How do you use "hunk" in a sentence?
Astronomers say they have found definitive evidence that White Dwarf stars form crystal cores made of metallic oxygen and carbon. A white dwarf is a star that is in its final phase of dying before becoming a black dwarf, a cold and lifeless hunk of rock, trillions of years later. Scientists expect that, in about 10 billion years, our own Sun will also become a white dwarf and then later a black dwarf star.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Probably borrowed from West Flemish hunke (“hunk; chunk”), of obscure origin. Probably from an earlier *humke, *humpke, a diminutive related to Dutch homp (“hunk; lump”), English hump, equivalent to hump + -kin. The sense of an attractive man is recorded in Australian slang in 1941, in jive talk in 1945.
Etymology 2
From Dutch honk (“the base in a game”).