/flʌŋk/
OriginAlteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.
- US, ambitransitiveOf a student, to fail a class; to not pass.
“He flunked math, again.”
- US, transitiveOf a teacher, to deny a student a passing grade.
“Unsatisfied with Fred's progress, the teacher flunked him.”
- US, broadlyTo fail any challenge
- US, dated, informalTo shirk (a task or duty).
- USTo back out through fear. (Commonly in the phrase 'flunk it', the 'it' referring to a specific task avoided; sometimes without specific reference, describing a person's attitude to life in general.)
Formsflunks(present, singular, third-person) · flunking(participle, present) · flunked(participle, past) · flunked(past)