funky

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funk·y¹

(fŭng′kē)

adj. funk·i·er, funk·i·est

Frightened; panicky.

[From funk.]

funk·y²

(fŭng′kē)

adj. funk·i·er, funk·i·est

a. Having a moldy or musty smell: funky cheese; funky cellars.

b. Having a strong, unpleasant odor, especially the odor of the unwashed human body: a funky locker room.

2. Music

a. Having a style reminiscent of simple blues; bluesy.

b. Of or relating to funk music.

3. Slang

a. Hearty and simple: "At the opposite end of Dallas's culinary spectrum is funky regional fare" (Jacqueline Friedrich).

b. Having an unsophisticated or old-fashioned charm; quaint or unpretentious: a funky beach town.

c. Unconventional or eccentric; offbeat or odd: "a bizarre, funky [hotel] dressed up as a ship, with mock portholes and mirrored ceilings over the beds" (Ann Louise Bardach).

[funk + -y.]

funk′i·ness n.

Word History: When asked which words in the English language are the most difficult to define precisely, a lexicographer would surely mention funky. Linguist Geneva Smitherman has tried to capture the meaning of this word in Talkin and Testifyin: The Language of Black America, where she explains that funky means "[related to] the blue notes or blue mood created in jazz, blues, and soul music generally, down-to-earth soulfully expressed sounds; by extension [related to] the real nitty-gritty or fundamental essence of life, soul to the max." Funky, derived from the noun funk, "strong smell, stink," originally meant simply "smelling strong or musty," and could be used to describe body odor. The use of funky to describe jazz and other genres of music was nicely explained by historian and critic Eric Hobsbawm (writing under the pseudonym F. Newton) in 1959 in The Jazz Scene: "Critics are on the search for something a little more like the old, original, passion-laden blues: the trade-name which has been suggested for it is 'funky' (literally: 'smelly,' i.e. symbolizing the return from the upper atmosphere to the physical, down-to-earth reality)."

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

funky

(ˈfʌŋkɪ)

adj, funkier or funkiest

1. (Pop Music) (of music) passionate, soulful; of or pertaining to funk

2. authentic; earthy

3. stylish and exciting; cool: funky jeans.

[C20: from funk², perhaps alluding to music that was smelly, that is, earthy (like the early blues)]

funky

(ˈfʌŋkɪ)

adj, funkier or funkiest

slang chiefly US evil-smelling; foul

[C18: from funk²]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

funk•y¹

(ˈfʌŋ ki)

adj. funk•i•er, funk•i•est.

terrified.

[1830–40]

funk•y²

(ˈfʌŋ ki)

adj. funk•i•er, funk•i•est.

1. having an earthy, blues-based character: funky jazz.

2. Slang. offbeat, odd, or quirky, as in appearance or style: funky clothes.

3. having an offensive smell; foul-smelling.

[1905–10, Amer.]

funk′i•ly, adv.

funk′i•ness, n.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.	1.	funky - offensively malodorous; "a foul odor"; "the kitchen smelled really funky" fetid, foetid, foul-smelling, ill-scented, smelly, stinking, noisome, foul ill-smelling, malodorous, malodourous, stinky, unpleasant-smelling - having an unpleasant smell
	2.	funky - (of jazz) having the soulful feeling of early blues low-down jazz - a genre of popular music that originated in New Orleans around 1900 and developed through increasingly complex styles emotional - of more than usual emotion; "his behavior was highly emotional"
	3.	funky - stylish and modern in an unconventional way; "she likes funky clothes"; "we did it all in black and white in a very funky sixties style" unconventional - not conventional or conformist; "unconventional life styles"
	4.	funky - in a state of cowardly fright cowardly, fearful - lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted; "cowardly dogs, ye will not aid me then"- P.B.Shelley

funky

adjective

Filled with fear or terror:

afraid, aghast, apprehensive, fearful, fearsome, panicky.

Regional: afeard, ascared.

Translations

bello fantastico funky

frika rocka

funky

[ˈfʌŋkɪ] ADJ (funkier (compar) (funkiest (superl))) [music] → vibrante, marchoso

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

funky

[ˈfʌŋki] adj

[music] → funky inv

(= excellent) → super invfun-loving [ˈfʌnlʌvɪŋ] adj
She's a fun-loving girl → Elle aime s'amuser.

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

funky

adj (+er)

(inf) music, person, clothes → geil (sl), → funky (sl); I want something funky (when buying clothes) → ich möchte etwas Flippiges or Funkiges (inf); funky beat (inf) → Funkrhythmus m

(dated US sl: = terrified) to be funky → (fürchterlich) Schiss haben (sl)

(esp Brit, inf, = cowardly) → feige, ängstlich

(US inf: = smelly) → mufflig (inf); air → miefig (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

funky

[ˈfʌŋkɪ] adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) (music) → funky inv (fam) (excellent) → figo/a

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References in periodicals archive ?

All swimmers will receive a commemorative cap thanks to sponsor The Morson Group and there will be a competition for the funkiest hat.

Make a splashing start to the New Year

The spiraling orange-and-pink pattern of the Amaca chair--which Weeks thinks is "probably the funkiest in the whole collection"--also recently made an appearance at Salone del Mobile in Milan, where it was featured by Moroso in the Italian company's new M'Afrique collection.

Dakar collection

Six more hours await those who are soulful enough to venture into the after-party, where they can brush elbows with doubtlessly the funkiest people in Liverpool as they boogie their way into the morning.

Disco fever hits the city for Hallowe'en

As the festival continues, a panel of judges will assess the photos and the overall winner for the funkiest headgear will receive a special prize.

Hats the way to do it...beer lovers don crazy caps during popular festival

Large dog tag, PS15.50, Hashtagdogtag.co.uk For the funkiest pooch in the park.

Pampered pets; Perfect presents for the animals - and animal lovers - in your life... Sophie

Sly Stone and his band were the funkiest group around and had already had a top ten hit single on both sides of the Atlantic with Dance To The Music.

Bevan's; ALBUMS OF THE WEEK

They head to London's funkiest wedding fair, where the three finalists have to dream up avant garde bridal hairstyles for the models who will be taking to the stage in front of 900 invitees.

TV CHOICE

First, presenter Katherine Ryan and judges Alain Pichon and Denise McAdam head to London's funkiest wedding fair, where the three finalists have to dream up avantgarde bridal hairstyles for the models who will be taking to the stage in front of 900 invitees, showing they can think beyond classic updos and delicate braiding.

TUESDAY

Some of the funkiest homes have wet rooms or showers because they can't squeeze in a bath.

Bathing beauties

'Some of the funkiest homes have wet rooms or showers' - Andrea McLean 'Some of the funkiest homes have wet rooms or showers' - Andrea McLean

Bathing beauties

His book, Scotland the Best, is also the funkiest days-out guide to our country.

Peter the great has lined up a braw bash

The fact is, you could sit and listen to the funkiest storyteller in the world all night long.

Funk hero's art show best by a Nile; NILE RODGERS: INDIGO NIGHT Summerhall, Edinburgh, 22.06