skunk
20 synonyms for skunk, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A small black-and-white North American mammal that sprays a foul-smelling liquid when threatened.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A small black-and-white North American mammal that sprays a foul-smelling liquid when threatened.
“A skunk wandered into the campsite and sent everyone running.”
2. verb
(informal) To defeat someone so badly they score nothing.
“Our team got skunked in the final round of the tournament.”
How to use skunk
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
Borrowed from an Algonquian language of southern New England, from a word meaning roughly "he who urinates/squirts", referring to the animal's spray.
Full origin of skunk →