Word
bunk
US/ˈbəŋk/
UK/bˈʌŋk/
Definitions
01a bed
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a narrow bed, often built into a wall or part of a pair where one is on top of the other.
n. a narrow, often built-in bed or berth, frequently arranged in tiers of two or more.
“The children fought over who would get to sleep in the top bunk.”
“The sailors retired to their bunks after a grueling twelve-hour shift, finding little comfort in the cramped quarters of the lower deck.”
02nonsense
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Informal
n. something that is not true or does not make sense.
n. nonsense or foolish talk; often used to dismiss an argument as completely false.
“Don't believe what he says; it is a load of bunk.”
“The critic dismissed the director's explanation of the film's symbolism as pure bunk, arguing that the plot was simply poorly constructed.”
03to skip school or work
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Informal · Slang
v. to stay away from school or work without permission.
v. to be absent from school or work without authorization; frequently used in the phrasal form 'bunk off'.
“They decided to bunk off school and go to the cinema instead.”
“Several employees were disciplined after it was discovered they had been bunking off work to attend the local football matches.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04to sleep somewhere
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to sleep in a bunk or to share a room with someone.
v. to occupy a bunk or to share sleeping quarters, typically in a temporary or institutional setting.
“During the summer camp, I bunked with three other students in a small cabin.”
“The soldiers were required to bunk together in large dormitories, leaving very little room for personal belongings.”
05broken or bad
C2 · Proficiency Slang
adj. not working correctly or of very poor quality.
adj. defective, non-functional, or of inferior quality; often used to describe faulty equipment or disappointing experiences.
“I tried to use the vending machine, but it's totally bunk.”
“The entire weekend was bunk because the weather was terrible and the hotel lost our reservation.”
Etymology
Sense of sleeping berth possibly from Scottish English bunker (“seat, bench”), origin is uncertain but possibly Scandinavian. Compare Old Swedish bunke (“boards used to protect the cargo of a ship”). See also boarding, flooring and compare bunch.
Shortened from bunkum, a variant of buncombe, from Buncombe County, North Carolina. See bunkum for more.
19th century, of uncertain origin; perhaps from previous "to occupy a bunk" meaning, with connotations of a hurried departure, as if on a ship.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Idioms
01. do a bunk
In Literature
Bunk · November 14, 2017 · Nonfiction
- Author:
- Kevin Young
Kevin Young’s 2017 nonfiction work explores the long and complicated history of hoaxes and deception in American culture. The author uses the term to describe how fake news and deliberate lies have shaped public perception from the era of P.T. Barnum to the modern digital age.
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/bunk