Hunk Meant a Lump Before It Meant a Man
A hunk is a large piece of something. American slang later applied it to an attractive man.
A hunk is a large rough piece of something, especially food. The sense of a powerfully built attractive man is American, recorded from the 1940s, and follows a pattern English uses often: a word for solid bulk applied to a person, as with *beefcake*, *slab* and *lump*. The compliment and the insult work the same way and differ only in tone. The word probably came from Flemish *hunke*, a lump of bread or meat.
- A large piece. *A hunk of bread.*
- An attractive man. *He is a hunk.*
- Hunky — well built. *Hunky.*
- Chunk — a near synonym. *A chunk.*
- Flemish — *hunke*. *A likely source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | hunk | A hunk. |
| Plural | hunks | Hunks. |
| Adjective | hunky | Hunky. |
| Related | chunk | A chunk. |
| Flemish | hunke | A lump. |
- He tore off a hunk of bread.Food.
- A hunk of rock fell away.Piece.
- The slang dates from the 1940s.History.
Words for a rough piece
- Hunk — large and torn rather than cut
- Chunk — thick and solid
- Lump — shapeless
- Wedge — tapering, cut deliberately
- Slab — flat and broad
Probably from Flemish *hunke*, a lump of bread or meat, recorded in English from the 1800s.
How old is hunk meaning an attractive man?
It is American, recorded from the 1940s, applying a word for solid bulk to a person.
What is the difference between a hunk and a chunk?
A hunk suggests something torn off, a chunk something thick and solid. The difference is one of texture rather than size.