plunk
plunk
Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
The IPA phonetic spelling for plunk is /plʌŋk/.
As a single-syllable word, its sounds are:
/p/: The "p" sound, as in pet.
/l/: The "l" sound, as in let.
/ʌ/: The "uh" sound, as in cup or truck.
/ŋ/: The "ng" sound, as in sing or ring.
/k/: The "k" sound, as in kick.
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: plunk
Plural Noun: plunks
Verb (Base Form): plunk
Verb (Third-Person Singular): plunks
Verb (Past Tense): plunked
Verb (Present Participle): plunking
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A dull, hollow, or resonant sound made by an object dropping heavily or a string being plucked.
Synonyms: thud, clunk, plop, thwack
Antonyms: whisper, hiss, swish
(Informal) A sudden, heavy drop or fall.
Synonyms: drop, slump, collapse
Antonyms: rise, ascent
Verb
(transitive) To drop, set, or put something down heavily and carelessly.
Synonyms: drop, flop, plop, slam, dump
Antonyms: place, set, arrange, position (gently)
(intransitive) To sit or fall down heavily or abruptly.
Synonyms: flop, collapse, slump, plump
Antonyms: rise, stand, get up (gracefully)
(transitive) To pluck or strum a stringed instrument (like a banjo or guitar), often in a casual, unpracticed, or resonant way.
Synonyms: pluck, strum, twang, pick
Antonyms: mute, silence
Adverb
(Informal) Directly or squarely; right in the middle.
Synonyms: squarely, directly, precisely, smack-dab
Antonyms: partially, indirectly, crookedly
Examples of Use
In Literature
In literature, "plunk" is often used to emphasize the weight or finality of an action, particularly when setting an object down.
Example: "He reached into the pocket of his overalls; he brought out a handful of silver and plunked it down on the counter." (John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath)
In Newspapers and Journalism
Journalists often use "plunk" (or "plunk down") in financial reporting to describe a significant or sudden payment. In sports, it has a very specific meaning in baseball.
Financial Reporting: "While some buyers are willing to plunk down $80,000 in cash, most are still highly sensitive to mortgage rates." (The Wall Street Journal, August 2024)
Sports Reporting (Baseball): "The pitcher plunked the next batter in the shoulder, leading the umpire to issue warnings to both benches." (ESPN, July 2024)
Adverbial Use: "The city council approved a plan to build a new stadium plunk in the middle of the downtown waterfront." (The Boston Globe, May 2024)
In Online Publications and Magazines
Online media uses "plunk" similarly to newspapers, often in reviews or lifestyle articles to create a more informal, active tone.
Tech Reviews: "The appeal is obvious: why plunk a huge black box in your living room when the TV can just look like art?" (The Verge, March 2024)
Travel/Food Writing: "It’s the kind of neighborhood diner where the server will plunk a heavy, steaming mug of coffee on your table before you’ve even opened the menu."
In Entertainment and Media
In entertainment, "plunk" is frequently used to describe the sound or action of playing a stringed instrument, especially in a casual or rudimentary way.
Music: The soundtrack of the documentary was sparse, featuring little more than the melancholy plunk of a solo banjo.
Film Dialogue: "You can't just plunk a 300-page script on my desk and expect me to read it by morning."
In General Public Discourse
In everyday speech and on social media, "plunk" is most commonly used to describe the action of sitting down heavily or dropping something without care.
Social Media: "Finally home after the longest shift ever. I'm going to plunk myself on this couch and not move for the rest of the night."
Everyday Speech: "Just plunk your bags by the door; we'll take them up later."
10 Famous Quotes Using Plunk
"He reached into the pocket of his overalls; he brought out a handful of silver and plunked it down on the counter." (John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath)
"It's like this, I said, I've got this pain in my left side and I was wondering if I could just plunk myself down in your chair and rest for a minute?" (Douglas Adams, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul)
"They plunk the car down anywhere." (Howard Nemerov, "The Planners")
"He plunked the telephone receiver back into its cradle." (Stephen King, It)
"A man plunked a chunk of raw meat on the table." (Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely)
"He plunked himself down in the chair opposite me and stared." (P.G. Wodehouse, Right Ho, Jeeves)
"In baseball, the ultimate insult isn't the strikeout; it's the intentional plunk."
"The musician would plunk at his guitar idly, waiting for inspiration to strike."
"She heard the heavy plunk of the mail being dropped through the slot."
"The appeal of the arcade claw machine is the hope that one quick plunk of a quarter will win the prize."
Etymology
Here's a simple explanation of where "plunk" comes from.
The Origin of Plunk
The word plunk is an onomatopoeia (a word that imitates a sound). 🎶
It's what linguists call an "imitative" or "echoic" word, meaning it was invented simply because it sounds like the action it describes.
Think about the sound you hear when:
You drop a heavy book flat on a wooden table.
Someone casually strums a single, low string on a banjo or guitar.
That dull, heavy, resonant thud or twang is the sound of "plunk."
How It Formed
"Plunk" didn't really evolve from an older word; it was likely just "smashed together" from other words that sound similar and mean similar things.
It's probably a blend of words like:
Pluck (describing the pulling of a string)
Plop or Plump (describing something falling)
Clunk or Thunk (describing a dull impact)
The word "plunk" just perfectly captures the feeling of a sudden, heavy, and somewhat clumsy action.
First Use and Meaning
The word first appeared in English in the mid-1700s (around 1767).
Its original meaning was as a noun describing the sound itself. The first known meaning referred specifically to the quick, hollow, twanging sound made by plucking a string on an instrument like a banjo.
The verb form—the action of doing the plunking (like "to plunk down money" or "to plunk a banjo string")—followed shortly after in the early 1800s.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Plunk
To plunk down (money)
Meaning: To pay for something, especially by putting the cash down decisively or reluctantly.
Example: "We had to plunk down a huge deposit just to rent the apartment."
To plunk (oneself) down
Meaning: To sit down heavily and suddenly, often out of exhaustion.
Example: "After the long hike, he plunked himself down on the nearest bench."
Plunk in the middle
Meaning: An informal way of saying "smack-dab" or "squarely" in the center, often implying something was placed there without much thought.
Example: "They built the new convenience store plunk in the middle of our quiet neighborhood."
To plunk away (at an instrument)
Meaning: To play a stringed instrument (like a banjo or piano) idly, aimlessly, or with little skill.
Example: "I could hear him in the next room, just plunking away on his guitar."
To plunk (something) on
Meaning: To drop or place something onto a surface carelessly.
Example: "He walked in and plunked his keys on the kitchen counter."
Idioms and Phrases with Similar Meanings
Since "plunk" isn't a part of many formal idioms, here are common phrases that use its synonyms to achieve a similar effect.
To plop (oneself) down
Meaning: Identical to "plunk oneself down"; to sit heavily.
Example: "She plopped down on the sofa and turned on the TV."
To plump down
Meaning: To sit down suddenly and heavily.
Example: "He plumped down in the armchair with a heavy sigh."
To slam down
Meaning: To put something down with great force and anger.
Example: "He argued with the cashier and slammed his money down on the counter."
To drop a bundle / a wad
Meaning: A substitute for "plunk down money," meaning to spend a large amount.
Example: "They dropped a bundle on their vacation to Hawaii."
To put your foot down
Meaning (Figurative): While "plunk" is physical, this idiom carries the same sense of decisiveness and finality, meaning to be firm about a decision.
Example: "I'm putting my foot down—we are not buying another video game this month."
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of plunk from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
