flunk

n.

US //ˈfɫəŋk// UK //flˈʌŋk// flunk

Archaic Informal

Origin

Alteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Idioms1 entry

01
flunk out
To fail to finish school, or a given subject, program or course, due to academic shortcomings; i.e., to have too many flunking or failing grades (marks).

Last updated April 17, 2026

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