spunk
noun
Simple meaning
The courage to carry on.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
spuhngkIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈspʌŋk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The courage to carry on
“He kept fighting on pure spunk.”
uncountable
Courage; spirit; mettle; determination.
countableUKAustraliaNew Zealandslang
An attractive person; a good-looker.
uncountable
Touchwood; tinder.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Formality
- Technical
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The courage to carry on
Used this way, spunk is a common word with a clearly warm, approving pull. It carries warmth, so it reads as personal rather than detached.
“He kept fighting on pure spunk.”
- Emotional tone
- Positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Brave and principled
- Usage feel
- Warm and expressive
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use spunk
- “He kept fighting on pure spunk.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Similar Words, What’s the Difference?
Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.