# bunk

/ˈbəŋk/ (US) · /bˈʌŋk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/bunk
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. a bed

noun · CEFR B1

a narrow bed, often built into a wall or part of a pair where one is on top of the other.

For teachers: 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.

### 2. nonsense

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

something that is not true or does not make sense.

For teachers: 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.

Teaching tip: This sense is a shortened form of 'bunkum' and is more common in American English, though understood elsewhere.

### 3. to skip school or work

verb · CEFR B2 · British English · Informal · Slang

to stay away from school or work without permission.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often takes the particle 'off' in British English.

### 4. to sleep somewhere

verb · CEFR B2

to sleep in a bunk or to share a room with someone.

For teachers: 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.

### 5. broken or bad

adjective · CEFR C2 · Slang

not working correctly or of very poor quality.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- His excuse for being late was pure bunk.
- The politician dismissed the rumors about his health as bunk.
- Skeptics argued that the ancient manuscript was bunk, pointing out several anachronisms in its text.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.