funky

Oddly strong-smelling

Funky has two main meanings that rarely overlap.

In music, funky describes a style with heavy rhythmic bass and a raw, earthy feel—originating in African American soul and R&B: a funky groove, funky bass line.

By extension, anything unconventional or stylishly offbeat can be funky: a funky little café, funky vintage clothes.

The older meaning describes something smelling bad or musty—the funk of body odor or damp basements.

Context usually makes clear which sense applies.

stylish

hip

Fashionable or pelvic joint

coolCalm or fashionable
freshNewly made, not stale
trendyCurrently in vogue

edgy · fashionable · groovy · retro · vintage · slick · urban · streetwear · bold · snazzy

music

groove

Narrow cut or routine

rhythmPatterned stress and silence
bassDeep pitch or fish
soulInnermost animating essence

jazz · beat · syncopation · bassline · improvisation · jam · boogie · disco · breakbeat · Motown

smell

musty

Stale from dampness

moldyCovered in fungal growth
stenchPowerfully offensive odor
rankPosition in hierarchy

ripe · foul · putrid · reek · sour · stale · rotten · fetid · pungent · damp

quirky

eccentric

Unconventional in character

offbeatPleasantly strange or unusual
unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
idiosyncraticDistinctively individual in nature

peculiar · whimsical · odd · kooky · unique · original · outlandish · bizarre · nonconformist · avant-garde

mood

off

Not functioning

weirdStrangely unsettling
strangeUnusual or unfamiliar
uneasyTroubled, not calm

unsettled · moody · temperamental · erratic · unpredictable · jittery · irritable · skittish · antsy · restless

funky

hip

groove

musty

eccentric

off

funky

Opposites

Phrases

Categories

Family