FUNKY
What does "FUNKY" mean?
Having an earthy, strongly rhythmic groove, especially in music; or unconventionally stylish.
Meanings
- Of music: having a strong, danceable, syncopated rhythm rooted in funk, soul, and jazz. The bassline was so funky the whole room started moving. informal
- Stylishly unconventional, offbeat, or quirky in an appealing way. She wore funky orange glasses that matched nothing and worked perfectly. informal
- Having a strong, often unpleasant, musty or stale smell. The gym bag smelled a little funky after the long weekend. informal
- Slightly off, malfunctioning, or behaving strangely. My laptop has been acting funky since the update. informal
Did you know?
- 'Funky' meant smelly first: the musical sense was a deliberate reclaiming of an earthy, 'low-down' smell word into a badge of soulful, body-moving music.
Word origin
From 'funk', originally meaning a strong smell (possibly via French dialect 'funkier', to smoke), later applied to earthy, soulful music in mid-20th-century African American English, from which the positive senses grew.
Remember it
FUNKY = FUN + KY. If a groove is fun and a little off-Key, it's funky.
A little poem
The bass drops down a notch-
shoulders forget the meeting,
the spine remembers how.
tercet
Wordplay
- My fridge started playing a great groove, then I opened it. Turns out it wasn't funky in the way I hoped.
What it teaches
The same word that means strange can mean wonderful - the difference is whether you're dancing.
Quick facts
What does FUNKY mean?
Having an earthy, strongly rhythmic groove, especially in music; or unconventionally stylish.
Is FUNKY a valid word?
Yes — FUNKY is one of the answer words in Wordul, the daily word game.
How many letters is FUNKY?
FUNKY has 5 letters and 2 syllables.
Where does FUNKY come from?
From 'funk', originally meaning a strong smell (possibly via French dialect 'funkier', to smoke), later applied to earthy, soulful music in mid-20th-century African American English, from which the positive senses grew.
What can FUNKY teach us?
The same word that means strange can mean wonderful - the difference is whether you're dancing.
How players do
Be the first to solve it.