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Word

dank

adjective B2
/ˈdæŋk/

Meanings

adjective

Unpleasantly damp and often smelling musty.

dank: Unpleasantly damp and often smelling musty.
adjective

Cool, wet, and dark in a way that feels uncomfortable.

dank: Cool, wet, and dark in a way that feels uncomfortable.

Definition

Dank describes something unpleasantly damp, often with a musty smell and little fresh air.

Something that is dank is wet in an unpleasant way, usually because it is cold, poorly ventilated, or has been damp for a long time. Dank places often smell musty and feel uncomfortable. People commonly use it for basements, caves, and old rooms.

Examples

  • I hated working in the dank storage room behind the restaurant.
  • You can smell the damp towels if you leave them in a dank corner.
  • He opened the door and a dank air rushed out from the old cellar.
  • She moved her suitcase away from the dank wall to keep it dry.
  • They explored a dank tunnel under the city with only their flashlights.

Common mistake

Learners sometimes use dank to mean simply “cool” or “pleasantly fresh,” but it usually means unpleasantly damp and musty.