What does dunked mean?
"Dunked" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "dunk," meaning to dip something briefly into a liquid — a biscuit into tea, a chip into salsa, or a person playfully into a swimming pool. It also has a celebrated sporting sense: in basketball, to dunk is to leap and force the ball directly down through the hoop with one or both hands, a move so iconic that it spawned the noun "slam dunk." The word entered English in the early twentieth century, borrowed from Pennsylvania German, itself related to standard German "tunken" (to dip). Informal but universally understood across British and American English, it carries a casual, often appetizing connotation in everyday use and an athletic, high-energy one in sports contexts. Its brevity and punchy sound have made it a favourite far beyond the kitchen and the court.
verbPast tense and past participle of "dunk": to dip something briefly into a liquid, especially food into a drink or sauce, or (in basketball) to thrust the ball forcefully down through the hoop.
- To dip food or an object briefly into a liquid such as tea, coffee, milk, or sauce.
- (Basketball) To force the ball down through the hoop with one or both hands above the rim.
- To push someone or something completely under water, often playfully or forcibly.
"She dunked the biscuit into her tea until it went soft."
"He dunked his doughnut in his coffee without thinking."
"The crowd roared as she rose above the defence and dunked the ball."
The word came to English from the Pennsylvania Dutch — and then basketball turned it into one of sports' most electrifying moves.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dunked
The verb "dunk" was borrowed into American English in the early twentieth century from Pennsylvania German "dunke," meaning to dip or immerse. It ultimately traces back to Middle High German "tunken," cognate with modern German "tunken." The basketball sense emerged in American usage around the mid-twentieth century as the shot itself became prominent.
Related word forms
How dunked is actually used
Informal to neutral register. In American English, strongly associated with basketball via the noun "slam dunk"; elsewhere the food-dipping sense dominates. The playful sense of dunking a person in water is common at pools and in traditions like dunk tanks.
Easily confused with dunked
"Ducked" means to lower the head or body quickly to avoid something, while "dunked" means to plunge something into a liquid or force a ball through a basket.