# dunk

> English word · Verb · IPA /dʌŋk/ · frequency rank #14,112

## Definitions
1. To submerge briefly in a liquid.
2. To set down carelessly.
3. To put the ball directly downward through the hoop while grabbing onto the rim with power.
4. To put down on social media [with on].

## Etymology
From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic *þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to moisten, wet”).
Cognate with German tunken (“to dunk”), Latin tingō (“to wet, moisten”), Ancient Greek τέγγω (téngō, “to wet, moisten”). Related to taint, tincture, tint.

## Easily confused with
- **duo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-duo)
- **dup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dup)
- **dur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dur)
- **duty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-duty)
- **dust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dust)
- **Dunn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dunn)
- **dusk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dusk)
- **dupe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dupe)
- **dura** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dura)
- **dunno** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dunno)
- **Dunne** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dunne)
- **dusky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dusky)
- **dunks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dunk-vs-dunks)
- **due** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/due-vs-dunk)
- **don** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/don-vs-dunk)
- **dan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dan-vs-dunk)
- **DNA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dna-vs-dunk)
- **den** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/den-vs-dunk)
- **dug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dug-vs-dunk)
- **dub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dub-vs-dunk)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ddunk`, `dnuk`, `dukn`, `dunkk`, `dunnk`, `udnk`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dunk