dunk
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to dip something, like a biscuit or bread, into a liquid for a short time.
v.to submerge an object briefly in a liquid, typically food into a beverage.
Simple“He liked to dunk his ginger biscuits into his tea until they were soft.”
In context“The tradition of dunking biscotti into dessert wine is common in many regions of Italy to soften the hard texture of the almond biscuits.”
UsageOften used with the preposition 'into' or 'in'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to jump high and push the ball down through the hoop with one or both hands.
v.to leap high enough to forcefully thrust the ball directly downward through the basket.
Simple“The crowd cheered when the star player managed to dunk the ball over the defender.”
In context“The forward's ability to dunk with either hand makes him a formidable offensive threat during fast breaks.”
UsageCan be used transitively with 'the ball' or intransitively.
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
v.to criticize or make fun of someone's post on social media in a clever way.
v.to decisively defeat or humiliate an opponent in a public forum, particularly on social media.
Simple“Everyone started to dunk on him after he posted that embarrassing photo.”
In context“The politician's poorly researched tweet led to thousands of users dunking on him within minutes of the post going live.”
UsageAlmost always used with the preposition 'on'.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a shot in basketball where the player jumps and pushes the ball down through the hoop.
n.a high-percentage shot in basketball performed by jumping and powering the ball through the rim.
Simple“His powerful dunk at the end of the game secured the victory for the team.”
In context“The highlight reel featured a spectacular 360-degree dunk that left the commentators speechless.”
“I'm learning to breathe properly, dunk my head under and let the water carry me, rather than fight against it.”
From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to moisten, wet”). Cognate with German tunken (“to dunk”), Latin tingō (“to wet, moisten”), Ancient Greek τέγγω (téngō, “to wet, moisten”). Related to taint, tincture, tint.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.