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Definition of gunk

gunk

/ɡʌŋk/
gunk
Adjective:gunky
•
Past Simple:gunked
•
Past Participle:gunked
•
Present Participle:gunking
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gunk Lexical Profile

gunk Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

An unpleasantly sticky, greasy, or messy substance.

Example

"The plumber had to scrape years of accumulated gunk out of the kitchen drainpipe."

Synonyms
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• verb

1

To clog, soil, or coat something with a sticky or greasy substance (often used with "up").

Example

"Old motor oil had gunked up the small engine valves, preventing the lawnmower from starting."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for gunk

• Nearby Words

gunfighter
gunfighting
gunfire
gunk
gunky
gunlom
gunmaker

Word Origin & Etymology

Originated in the 1930s as the trademarked name "Gunk" for a commercial degreasing soap and solvent patented by the A. F. Curran Company, before rapidly becoming a generic informal term for the greasy sludge that the soap was designed to remove.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Gunk. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/gunk
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