What does "thunk" mean?
A delayed computation.
Thunk
/θʌŋk/ intj, noun, verb
intj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A delayed computation.
- Grammar: thunk is listed as intj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: defer, deferred evaluation, delay, delayed computation.
- Useful contrasts: direct call, direct invocation, eager evaluation.
- Usage evidence: Who would have thunk those guys would have a problem with a little lie?
How to use "thunk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "thunk" 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 "thunk" 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 "thunk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "thunk" 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 "thunk" is acting as intj, 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 "defer" 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 "thunk", 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 delayed computation.
"Not surprisingly, a thunk is more expensive to store than a single number[…]."
- 2 a dull hollow sound wordnet
- 3 In the Scheme programming language, a function or procedure taking no arguments.
- 4 A specialized subroutine that one software module uses to execute code in another module.
"If the provider of these DLLs has not updated the code to a 32-bit environment, you will have to switch to a new 32-bit library or write thunks between your 32-bit code and the 16-bit DLL."
Verb
- 1 past participle of think form-of, humorous, nonstandard, participle, past
"Who would have thunk those guys would have a problem with a little lie?"
- 2 To strike against something, without breakage, making a "thunk" sound.
"I was thunked on the head by his stick."
- 3 To delay (a computation). transitive
"Not surprisingly, a thunk is more expensive to store than a single number, and the more complex the thunked expression, the more space it needs. For something cheap such as arithmetic, thunking an expression is more computationally expensive than calculating it immediately."
- 4 To execute (code) by means of a thunk. transitive
"This efficiency is offset by the fact that some of the calls made by Win32 apps must now be thunked down to 16 bits, something that isn't necessary in Windows NT and OS/2."
Intj
- 1 Representing the dull sound of the impact of a heavy object striking another and coming to an immediate standstill, with neither object being broken by the impact.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Who would have thunk those guys would have a problem with a little lie?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "thunk"?
Common synonyms include: defer, deferred evaluation, delay, delayed computation, encapsulate, indirection.
How do you use "thunk" in a sentence?
Who would have thunk those guys would have a problem with a little lie?
How do you pronounce "thunk"?
Pronounced /θʌŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
By analogy with past tenses and past participles ending in "-unk", such as drunk and sunk.
Etymology 2
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology 3
Said by the inventors to be from the irregular jocular past tense of think (see Etymology 1), being coined when they realised that the type of an argument in ALGOL 60 could be predetermined at compile time (with a little compile-time “thought”).