dunk

IPA/dʌŋk/
KK[dˈʌŋk]IPA/dʌŋk/

dunk — verb

  • dunkpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dunkshe / she / it
  • dunkedpast simple
  • dunking-ing form

1. to put a piece of food, like a cookie or cracker, into a hot drink for a moment

1.動詞及物B1
釋義

to put a piece of food, like a cookie or cracker, into a hot drink for a moment before eating it so that the food becomes softer

例句

Haruki gently dunked his buttered toast into his coffee before taking a bite.

dunk + noun + in/into + noun (liquid)

Amara's grandmother always dunked plain biscuits in her tea and ate them quickly.

同義詞
  • dip

    more general; 'dip' can apply to any object in any liquid, while 'dunk' implies absorbent food in a drink

  • submerge

    more formal and implies complete coverage; less common for food-dipping

文法句型

dunk + noun (food) + in/into + noun (liquid)

用法筆記

The object is usually a dry, baked food that absorbs liquid. This sense is especially common in British and Commonwealth English for the ritual of dipping biscuits in tea.

常見錯誤

She dunked the whole apple into her soup.
She dunked a piece of bread into her soup.
💡Dunking is for absorbent baked goods, not hard fruits or vegetables.

2. to push an object or a person into water for a brief period, either to clean som

2.動詞及物B1
釋義

to push an object or a person into water for a brief period, either to clean something or as a playful action

例句

Kwame playfully dunked his younger cousin in the swimming pool during their holiday.

dunk someone in water (playful)

Sofia dunked the paintbrush in a jar of water and swirled it clean.

同義詞
  • submerge

    suggests complete coverage and is more formal; does not carry the playful sense

  • dip

    implies a shorter, gentler action and is less specific about the liquid

  • plunge

    implies more force and speed

文法句型

dunk + noun + in/into + noun (liquid)

用法筆記

When used with a person as the object, it almost always describes a playful or joking action. This sense is rarely used in formal writing.

常見錯誤

He drowned the toy in the bathtub.
He dunked the toy in the bathtub.
💡'Drown' means to kill by keeping underwater; 'dunk' means a brief, harmless submerging.

3. to score in basketball by leaping up and pushing the ball downward through the n

3.動詞及物B1
釋義

to score in basketball by leaping up and pushing the ball downward through the net with the hands above the rim

例句

Diego leaped and dunked the ball to win the championship with three seconds left.

dunk the ball (transitive)

Elena dunked over two defenders, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers.

dunk + over + defender

同義詞
  • slam-dunk

    a more emphatic term, often used for powerful, one-handed dunks

  • jam

    informal basketball slang, interchangeable with 'dunk'

  • throw down

    informal phrase, emphasises force

文法句型

dunk + noun (the ball)

dunk (no object)

dunk + over/on + noun (defender)

用法筆記

Almost exclusively used in basketball contexts. The intransitive form ('He can dunk') implies the ability to perform a dunk shot. In informal American English, 'dunk on someone' can also mean to humiliate or defeat someone decisively.

常見錯誤

He dunked the ball into the hoop.
He dunked the ball through the basket.
💡In basketball, the ball is thrown down through the basket from above; 'into the hoop' suggests a horizontal entry typical of a regular shot, not a dunk.

dunk — noun