flunkflunk /flʌŋk/ verb informal especially American English 
Word Origin Examples
Tony flunked chemistry last semester.2[transitive] to give someone low marks on a test so that they fail it SYN fail: She hadn’t done the work so I flunked her.flunk out phrasal verb informal especially American English to be forced to leave a school or college because your work is not good enoughflunk out of Ben flunked out of college.
Word OriginWORD ORIGINflunk
Verb TableOrigin:
1800-1900 Perhaps from flinch + funk ‘to be afraid (of)’ (18-21 centuries); ➔ FUNK (2)VERB TABLE
flunk
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | flunk |
| he, she, it | flunks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | flunked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have flunked |
| he, she, it | has flunked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had flunked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will flunk |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have flunked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am flunking |
| he, she, it | is flunking | |
| you, we, they | are flunking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was flunking |
| you, we, they | were flunking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been flunking |
| he, she, it | has been flunking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been flunking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be flunking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been flunking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Brant flunked out of college his first year.
- He thought he was going to flunk chemistry, but he got a D.
- He was cutting school and flunking classes.
- I flunked, and had to do the test again.
- She flunked the state bar exam four times before she finally passed.
- She didn't do any of the work, so I flunked her.
- Yesterday I took my driving test and flunked - for the sixth time.
- And yet Simeon flunked virtually every exam, often by a mile.
- But it all went wrong when, some 15 years ago, he flunked math and didn't get into college.
- My worst class was math, and every time we took a test, I was certain I had completely flunked it.
- Progressives have the chance to reshape global institutions; they should not flunk it.
- Punitive and retroactive, our decision is to flunk the student, not the school.
- The begin-ning of real trouble was flunking the bar exam and receiving, in turn, a reduced salary from my firm.
- The first two years they basically just try to flunk everybody out.
- Then Pasternak's office called him and told him that he had flunked the test.
Longman Language Activatorto fail an exam or test► fail
Collocations to not succeed in an examination or test: · Jonathan failed his law exams at the end of the year.· If I fail my driving test again, I'm going to give up.· ''How did you do in accountancy?'' ''I failed''.fail by 2 marks/5% etc: · We expected her to pass easily, but she failed by 15 marks.
► flunk especially American, informal to fail an examination or test: · He thought he was going to flunk chemistry, but he got a D.· I flunked, and had to do the test again.
► flunk out especially American informal to fail a course at college or university and be forced to leave: · You either pass and get your degree or flunk out.flunk out of college/school etc: · It was extremely humiliating to flunk out of law school like that.
► bomb American informal to fail very badly: · I bombed the English test yesterday.
to fail a test► fail to not reach a high enough standard to succeed in a test or exam: · She failed her history class and has to take it again.· "How did Chris do in his driving test?" "He failed."· Many of the boys in the program had been failing at school.
► flunk American informal to fail an exam: · He was cutting school and flunking classes.· She flunked the state bar exam four times before she finally passed.flunk out (=fail all your classes, so that you have to leave school): · Brant flunked out of college his first year.
► bomb American informal to fail a test or exam very badly: · I bombed on the quiz he gave us.· "How'd it go?" "I bombed on the written section, but I think I did okay on the multiple choice part."
WORD SETS► Educationabsenteeism, nounacademic, adjectiveacademy, nounadult education, nounalma mater, nounassessment, nounassessor, nounassignment, nounaudiovisual, adjectiveAV, binder, nounbiology, nounblackboard, nounbursary, nounbusiness studies, nounCAL, nounCALL, nouncareer counselor, nouncareers officer, nouncase study, nounCDT, nouncert., certificate, nouncertificated, adjectivechalkboard, nouncharm school, nounchemistry set, nouncivics, nounclass, nounclassicist, nounclassmate, nouncloze test, nouncoach, nouncoeducation, nouncollege, nouncollegiate, adjectivecommon room, nouncomprehension, nouncomprehensive, adjectivecomputer-literate, adjectivecomputer science, nouncontinuing education, nouncorrespondence course, nouncoursebook, nouncoursework, nouncrash course, nouncredit, nouncrib, verbcross, nouncurriculum, nounD, noundiploma, noundirect method, nounDirector of Studies, noundissect, verbdistance learning, noundistinction, noundo, verbdropout, noundyslexia, nounedify, verbedifying, adjectiveeducate, verbeducational, adjectiveeducationalist, nouneducator, nounEFL, nounELT, nounESL, nounESOL, nounESP, nounessay, nounevening class, nounexam, nounexamination, nounexamine, verbexercise, nounexercise book, nounexternal, adjectiveextracurricular, adjectiveF, fail, nounfellowship, nounfield, nounfield day, nounfield trip, nounfieldwork, nounflashcard, nounflip chart, nounflunk, verbfree period, nounfresher, nounfreshman, nounfurther education, nounglobe, noungoverness, noungrade, verbgraded, adjectivegrade point average, noungrind, nounheuristic, adjectivehistory, nounimmersion, nounineducable, adjectiveinfirmary, nounintake, nounintelligence quotient, nouninterdisciplinary, adjectiveintroductory, adjectiveinvigilate, verbIQ, nounjanitor, nounlearning curve, nounlesson, nounletter, nounletter, verbliberal arts, nounlibrarian, nounlibrary, nounlife science, nounmainstream, adjectivemasterclass, nounmatron, nounmedia studies, nounmnemonic, nounmoderate, verbmoderator, nounmodular, adjectivemodule, nounmultiple choice, adjectivenight school, nounnumerate, adjectiveopen house, nounoral, nounoverqualified, adjectivepapier mâché, nounpass, verbpass, nounpastoral, adjectivepedagogical, adjectivepedagogue, nounpedagogy, nounphonics, nounphrasebook, nounphysical education, nounpicture book, nounplacement, nounplaytime, nounpoli sci, nounpolitical science, nounpolitics, nounprincipal, nounprize day, nounproblem, nounproctor, nounprogrammed learning, nounprotégé, nounquad, nounqualification, nounqualify, verbquick, adjectiverector, nounre-educate, verbrefectory, nounreference, nounreference library, nounrequirement, nounresearch, nounresearch, verbresit, verbresource, nounresult, nounresume, nounretake, verbretake, nounreunion, nounreview, verbrevise, verbrevision, nounrole-play, nounrote, nounscholar, nounscholarship, nounscholastic, adjectiveschool, nounscience, nounscript, nounself-taught, adjectiveset, verbspeciality, nounspelling bee, nounstandard, adjectivestate school, nounstudent body, nounstudent government, nounstudent loan, nounstudent teaching, nounstudent union, nounstudy, verbstudy hall, nounsub, nounsummer holidays, nounsummer vacation, nounsuperintendent, nounteacher, nounteaching, nountechie, nounterm, nounterm paper, nounTESL, nounTESOL, nountext, nountextbook, nountick, nountick, verbtimetable, nountimetable, verbtranscript, nountrimester, nountruancy, nountuition, nountutor, nountutor, verbunderclassman, noununit, noununseen, nounvisual aid, nounvocational, adjectivewhiteboard, nounworkbook, nounworksheet, nounX, nounyearbook, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► flunk an exam
1[intransitive, transitive] to fail a test: American English informal (=fail it)· I flunked all my first year exams.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► out· It was, of course, extremely humiliating to flunk out of law school.· She found out when I flunked out of college.
Tony flunked chemistry last semester.2[transitive] to give someone low marks on a test so that they fail it SYN fail: She hadn’t done the work so I flunked her.flunk out phrasal verb informal especially American English to be forced to leave a school or college because your work is not good enoughflunk out of Ben flunked out of college.