What does skunk mean?
A skunk is a distinctive North American mammal with black fur, white markings, and a highly effective chemical defense: it can spray a powerful, unpleasant-smelling secretion toward a perceived threat. The word also refers to the secretion itself, and, informally, to a contemptible person. As a verb, “skunk” describes an overwhelming defeat or a humiliating loss, as in “Their team was skunked in the final.” In everyday use, the word often carries a comic or exaggerated quality, particularly when describing a crushing result. Its strong smell and unmistakable warning displays have made the skunk a familiar subject in jokes, cartoons, and public descriptions of animals that make a powerful impression without directly attacking.
A black-and-white mammal of the weasel family that produces a foul-smelling defensive secretion; by extension, the secretion itself or a contemptible person.
"The skunk disappeared beneath the porch, leaving behind its unmistakable odor."
The personal sense is derogatory and chiefly informal North American English.
To defeat someone overwhelmingly or subject someone to a humiliating loss.
"The visitors skunked the champions in the opening game."
Chiefly informal, especially used in North American sports reporting.
The plural refers to the animals; the plural of the offensive personal sense is uncommon.
"Several skunks wandered through the campground after dark."
A skunk’s warning system is famously unmistakable: the smell is impossible to ignore, but a skunk will usually try to avoid a confrontation.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does skunk come from?
The English word “skunk” comes through colonial contact from an Algonquian language of northeastern North America. The loanword was established in English by the colonial period, when the animal and its distinctive odor were well known to European settlers. The verb meaning “to defeat decisively” developed later in American English, probably by extending the animal’s unwanted and overwhelming presence to describe an overwhelming victory.
Related word forms
How skunk is actually used
As a noun for a person, “skunk” is strongly derogatory and informal in American English. The verb “skunk” is chiefly North American and informal, especially in sports.