"clunk" meaning in English

See clunk in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /klʌŋk/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-clunk.wav Forms: clunks [plural]
Rhymes: -ʌŋk Etymology: Onomatopoeic Etymology templates: {{onomatopoeic|en}} Onomatopoeic Head templates: {{en-noun}} clunk (plural clunks)
  1. A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact. Translations (sound): kolahdus (Finnish), ngahoa (Maori)
    Sense id: en-clunk-en-noun-eP1yCP~z Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Maori translations, Sounds Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 38 47 4 12 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 52 39 2 6 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 43 52 2 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 39 47 5 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 39 47 5 9 Disambiguation of Sounds: 32 31 4 33 Disambiguation of 'sound': 58 42 0
  2. (dated) The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound. Tags: dated
    Sense id: en-clunk-en-noun-mPnR~xUH Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English onomatopoeias, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Maori translations, Sounds Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 40 52 4 4 Disambiguation of English onomatopoeias: 36 50 4 9 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 38 47 4 12 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 43 52 2 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 39 47 5 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Maori translations: 39 47 5 9 Disambiguation of Sounds: 32 31 4 33
  3. (derogatory, offensive) dull; foolish; stupid or silly person. Tags: derogatory, offensive
    Sense id: en-clunk-en-noun-22xrjxOI
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: clunky

Verb

IPA: /klʌŋk/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-clunk.wav Forms: clunks [present, singular, third-person], clunking [participle, present], clunked [participle, past], clunked [past]
Rhymes: -ʌŋk Etymology: Onomatopoeic Etymology templates: {{onomatopoeic|en}} Onomatopoeic Head templates: {{en-verb}} clunk (third-person singular simple present clunks, present participle clunking, simple past and past participle clunked)
  1. To make such a sound. Derived forms: clunker Translations (to make a dull, metallic sound): kolahtaa (Finnish), ngahoa (Maori)
    Sense id: en-clunk-en-verb-GCqdgYJY Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Sounds Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 38 47 4 12 Disambiguation of Sounds: 32 31 4 33

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "clunky"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "expansion": "Onomatopoeic",
      "name": "onomatopoeic"
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  "etymology_text": "Onomatopoeic",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "clunks",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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  "head_templates": [
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    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 47 4 12",
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        {
          "_dis": "32 31 4 33",
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          "name": "Sounds",
          "orig": "en:Sounds",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact."
      ],
      "id": "en-clunk-en-noun-eP1yCP~z",
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 42 0",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "sound",
          "word": "kolahdus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "58 42 0",
          "code": "mi",
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        }
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          "_dis": "39 47 5 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Maori translations",
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          "source": "w+disamb"
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          "_dis": "32 31 4 33",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound."
      ],
      "id": "en-clunk-en-noun-mPnR~xUH",
      "links": [
        [
          "liquid",
          "liquid"
        ],
        [
          "bottle",
          "bottle"
        ],
        [
          "gluck",
          "gluck"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated) The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "dull; foolish; stupid or silly person."
      ],
      "id": "en-clunk-en-noun-22xrjxOI",
      "links": [
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          "derogatory",
          "derogatory"
        ],
        [
          "dull",
          "dull"
        ],
        [
          "foolish",
          "foolish"
        ],
        [
          "stupid",
          "stupid"
        ],
        [
          "silly",
          "silly"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(derogatory, offensive) dull; foolish; stupid or silly person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "offensive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/klʌŋk/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋk"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-clunk.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cc/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-clunk.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-clunk.wav.mp3",
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    }
  ],
  "word": "clunk"
}

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      "name": "onomatopoeic"
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  "forms": [
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      "form": "clunks",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clunking",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clunked",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clunked",
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        "past"
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  "head_templates": [
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
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          "_dis": "38 47 4 12",
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        }
      ],
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          "word": "clunker"
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      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              20,
              28
            ]
          ],
          "text": "Her old bicycle was clunking along the road.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make such a sound."
      ],
      "id": "en-clunk-en-verb-GCqdgYJY",
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to make a dull, metallic sound",
          "word": "kolahtaa"
        },
        {
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to make a dull, metallic sound",
          "word": "ngahoa"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋk"
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    }
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  "word": "clunk"
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      "expansion": "clunk (plural clunks)",
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A dull, metallic sound, especially one made by two bodies coming into contact."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English dated terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound."
      ],
      "links": [
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          "liquid"
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          "bottle",
          "bottle"
        ],
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          "gluck",
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        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(dated) The sound of liquid coming out of a bottle, etc.; a glucking sound."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated"
      ]
    },
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        "English offensive terms"
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      "glosses": [
        "dull; foolish; stupid or silly person."
      ],
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          "dull",
          "dull"
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        "(derogatory, offensive) dull; foolish; stupid or silly person."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "offensive"
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      "ipa": "/klʌŋk/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋk"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-clunk.wav",
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    }
  ],
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    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "sound",
      "word": "kolahdus"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "sound",
      "word": "ngahoa"
    }
  ],
  "word": "clunk"
}

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    "English verbs",
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    "Pages with 1 entry",
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    "Rhymes:English/ʌŋk/1 syllable",
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    "Terms with Maori translations",
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      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "clunking",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
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    {
      "form": "clunked",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
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    },
    {
      "form": "clunked",
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        "past"
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  "head_templates": [
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
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        "English terms with usage examples"
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          "bold_text_offsets": [
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              20,
              28
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          ],
          "text": "Her old bicycle was clunking along the road.",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make such a sound."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/klʌŋk/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ʌŋk"
    },
    {
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    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to make a dull, metallic sound",
      "word": "kolahtaa"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to make a dull, metallic sound",
      "word": "ngahoa"
    }
  ],
  "word": "clunk"
}

Download raw JSONL data for clunk meaning in English (4.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-05-20 using wiktextract (3dadd05 and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.