Illustration of skunk
- skunk 1a
plural skunks also skunk
1
a
: any of various common omnivorous black-and-white New World mammals (family Mephitidae, especially genus Mephitis) related to weasels that have a pair of perineal glands from which a secretion of pungent and offensive odor is ejected
b
: the fur of a skunk
2
: an obnoxious or disliked person
Examples of skunk in a Sentence
Noun
Her brother's a low-down, dirty skunk.
he's nothing but a dirty, rotten skunk
Verb
we ended up skunking them, as our goalie was able to prevent the other team from scoring a single goal
our football team consistently skunks our traditional rivals Thanksgiving after Thanksgiving
Recent Examples on the Web
The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
Austin Wildlife Rescue has taken in over 120 animals since the weekend including baby squirrels, skunks and turtles.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 11 July 2025
Larry Light, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
For all our fast start, the first day of the hunt left us skunked.
—Carl T. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
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Noun
Birds nest beneath Wright’s generous eaves, skunks burrow into foundations, and spiders spin webs on geometric architectural details.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 July 2025
Austin Wildlife Rescue has taken in over 120 animals since the weekend including baby squirrels, skunks and turtles.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 11 July 2025
Verb
Long-term, however, the S&P 500 has skunked the world index, and shows very sign of continuing to do so.
—Larry Light, Forbes.com, 9 July 2025
For all our fast start, the first day of the hunt left us skunked.
—Carl T. Johnson, Outdoor Life, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for skunk
Cite this Entry
“Skunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skunk. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
skunk
1 of 2 noun
plural skunks also skunk
1
: any of various black-and-white North American mammals related to the weasels that give off a fluid with a sharp and unpleasant smell when threatened
2
: a mean hateful person
skunk
2 of 2 verb
: to defeat completely
especially
: to prevent entirely from scoring or succeeding : shut out
Etymology
Noun
from a word in Massachusett (an extinct Algonquian language spoken in Massachusetts)
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