# skunked

Pronunciation: US say "SKUNKT" /skʌŋkt/; AUS say "SKUNGKT" /skʌŋkt/

## Verb

1. Simple past and past participle of skunk. *(US)* — simple past and past participle of skunk
   - Simple: Past tense and past participle of skunk. Use it for the past, or after has, have, had, was or got.
   - _The veterans skunked the rookies in three straight matches._
   - _His rival skunked him at cribbage all weekend._

## Adjective

2. Having caught no fish at all during a fishing trip. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Having caught no fish at all on a fishing trip.
   - _The charter captain hated docking skunked, since clients rarely tipped after a fishless day._
   - _Even with fresh bait and calm water, the four of us went home skunked._
3. Spoiled by poor storage or by exposure to light.
   - Simple: Spoiled because it was stored badly or left in the light.
   - _The lager arrived skunked, its bright hop aroma replaced by a sour, sulfurous note._
   - _Leave a green bottle on the windowsill and it turns skunked within hours._
4. Under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Very drunk or high from alcohol or drugs.
   - _She was too skunked to remember how the night had ended._
   - _By midnight half the wedding guests were thoroughly skunked._
5. Having seen no birds at all during a birding trip. *(slang)*
   - Simple: Having seen no birds at all on a birdwatching trip.
   - _The rare-bird hunt left them skunked despite hours of patient scanning._
   - _Even seasoned birders get skunked when fog rolls in over the coast._
6. Of a word or phrase: caught in transition between an established meaning or usage and a new one, so that using it is potentially controversial.
   - Simple: Describes a word or phrase whose meaning is changing, so using it may upset some readers.
   - _Some style guides advise writers to steer clear of skunked terms until the dispute over their meaning settles._
   - _By the time "nonplussed" had become skunked, half the newsroom was using it to mean unbothered._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/skunked (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).