What does funking mean?
Funking is the present-participle form of the verb 'funk', a word whose history runs along two very different tracks. In its oldest sense, dating from eighteenth-century British slang, to funk means to shrink back or flinch from something through fear, so 'funking' describes the act of losing one's nerve — refusing a dare, dodging a difficult conversation, or hesitating at the crucial moment. It carries a mildly derisive connotation, implying timidity rather than prudence, and remains largely confined to informal British English. A second, entirely separate life for the word emerged in twentieth-century American music: funk became a genre defined by syncopated rhythms and prominent basslines, and 'funking' in this context simply means playing, singing, or dancing in that earthy, groove-driven style. A third, looser usage treats 'funking' as a softened stand-in for a harsher expletive, functioning as an informal intensifier. Because these meanings coexist, context matters: 'funking out' might mean chickening out on one occasion and cutting loose on the dance floor on another. The word's dual heritage — from cowardice to coolness — makes it a small case study in how slang evolves across centuries and cultures.
To shrink back or flinch from something out of fear or reluctance; the act of doing so expressed as 'funking'.
"He kept funking the moment when he'd have to tell her the truth."
Chiefly British informal; mildly mocking in tone.
The action or instance of flinching from something through fear, expressed as a gerund.
"His funking at the last fence cost him the race."
Rare except in narrative or descriptive contexts.
To play, perform, or move in the style of funk music.
"The band spent the whole second set funking up the old classics."
Informal and international; positive or playful connotation.
Before it had anything to do with groovy basslines, 'funk' was British slang for pure cowardice — to be 'in a funk' was to be terrified.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of funking
The verb 'funk' first appears in English slang in the early eighteenth century, meaning to cower or shrink from danger; its exact origin is uncertain, though it has been linked by etymologists to Flemish or Low German sources, and the noun 'funk' (a state of fear) developed alongside it. Separately, mid-twentieth-century American jazz and soul musicians adopted 'funky' — earlier a term for a strong, musty smell — to describe a raw, danceable groove, spawning the genre name 'funk'. These two lineages converged on the same word family, giving 'funking' both its fearful and its musical meanings. Cognate forms outside English are not firmly established due to the word's murky origins.
Related word forms
How funking is actually used
Chiefly British in its older 'flinch from fear' sense, where it carries a mildly mocking connotation of cowardice and appears mostly in informal speech ('don't funking well do it'). The musical sense is international and neutral-to-positive in register. Because 'funking' can read as a softened expletive, some contexts treat it as slightly risqué.
Easily confused with funking
'Freaking' is a swear-word substitute used as an intensifier, whereas 'funking' most often means flinching from fear or, informally, playing or dancing to funk.
'Funky' describes something earthy, stylish, or groove-based (or, older sense, musty-smelling), while 'funiking' — funking — is its verb form's participle describing the action itself.