Meaning & use
bunk
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Meanings
noununcountableinformalAmerican
Foolish or untrue talk, ideas or claims that deserve no belief.
Grammar: Never takes an or an: that is bunk.
Patterns
- it's all bunk
Most of what he said about the cure was bunk.
I think that theory is complete bunk.
The ad's claims turned out to be bunk.
nouncountable
A narrow bed fixed to a wall or stacked above another bed, as in a ship, camp or dormitory.
Grammar: A bunk is one bed; two stacked beds are bunk beds.
Patterns
- the top bunk
- the bottom bunk
The kids argued over who got the top bunk.
Each sailor has a bunk below deck.
He rolled out of his bunk at dawn.
verbintransitiveinformal
To sleep somewhere temporarily, usually in a shared or makeshift bed.
Grammar: No object; often followed by with or at: bunk with a friend.
Patterns
- bunk with someone
- bunk down
You can bunk with me while your flat is repaired.
Three of us bunked in one room at camp.
We bunked down on the floor after the party.
Word forms
| plural | bunks |
|---|---|
| third person singular | bunks |
| past tense | bunked |
| -ing form | bunking |
Common combinations
- complete bunk
- The rumor was complete bunk.
- bunk bed
- The room has a bunk bed for the two boys.
- top bunk
- She climbed the ladder to the top bunk.
- bunk down
- We bunked down in the barn for the night.
- bunk mate
- My bunk mate at camp snored loudly.
Synonyms and how they differ
- nonsense
- Nonsense is the neutral and widest term, while bunk is more informal and sounds slightly old-fashioned.
- rubbish
- Rubbish is the usual British word for foolish talk, whereas bunk is mainly American.
- baloney
- Baloney is playful and mild, while bunk is a bit flatter and more dismissive.
- berth
- A berth is a bed on a ship or train, narrower in use than bunk, which also covers camp and dormitory beds.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bunk or bunk off? bunk or junk?
bunk vs bunk off
In British English, bunk off means to skip school or work, which is unrelated to nonsense or beds.
bunk vs junk
Junk means worthless objects, while bunk means worthless ideas or talk.
Practice
I read the article, and the claim that sugar makes people instantly smarter is total ___.
Choose one answer.
Bunk here means nonsense. A berth is a bed, and the other options do not fit the sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bunk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.