Funk up means: To make (something) funky (foul-smelling).. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
funk up
(slang, transitive, AAVE) To make (something) funky (foul-smelling).
Definitions
US
#1·Apr 27, 2026US
(slang, transitive, AAVE) To make (something) funky (foul-smelling).
For parents
Funk up means: To make (something) funky (foul-smelling).. It is informal slang, fine in casual speech but not suited to formal contexts. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
funk up means: To make (something) funky (foul-smelling).. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
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For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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🎤About Black culture & AAVE slang
Slang from Black American Vernacular English (AAVE), hip-hop, drag and ballroom culture, the Caribbean, and NYC street vocabulary. The single largest source of new mainstream English slang in living memory.
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Other words near "funk up" (F)
funkerfunk holefunkholefunkitudefunkstickfunktasticfunkyfunky freshfunk youFunnelfunnel cakefunnel web
Browse all slang words starting with F.
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Semantically related
- defunkify76%
(transitive, slang) To take out of a funk; to enliven; to cheer up.
- defunkify74%
(transitive, slang, humorous) To mask or remove the odor from; to deodorize.
- funky74%
(US, slang) Offbeat, unconventional or eccentric.
- fuck it up71%
(slang, vulgar, usually in an excited manner) To go at something competently, usually in an aggressive or quick manner.
- foul up70%
(intransitive, slang, idiomatic) To make a mistake, to go wrong.