hunk

noun

ˈhəŋk How to pronounce hunk (audio)
Synonyms of hunknext
1
: a large lump, piece, or portion
a hunk of bread
2
: an attractive and usually well-built man

Synonyms of hunk

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of hunk in a Sentence

a steak cut into meaty hunks That actor is such a hunk!
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Stewart sealed her reinvention with a Best Actress nomination for Spencer back in 2022, but due to the Academy’s longstanding bias against hunks, Pattinson has been forced to wait longer for his own induction into the Oscar clubhouse. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2026 There was absolutely no way to quietly set up that hunk of metal in the middle of the night without waking up the entire house. — Brandi Fuller, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Aug. 2026 In practice, a black-and-white hunk of metal sprinting into a wall looks silly. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026 Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hunk

Word History

Etymology

Dutch dialect hunke

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hunk was in 1809

Rhymes for hunk

See All Rhymes for hunk

Browse Nearby Words

hunia
hunk
hunker
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hunk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hunk. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

hunk

noun
ˈhəŋk How to pronounce hunk (audio)
1
: a large lump or piece
2
: a male who is physically very attractive
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gist

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All