dank

adj

Etymology: From Middle English danke (“wet, damp; dampness, moisture”), probably from North Germanic, related to Swedish dank (“marshy spot”), Icelandic dökk (“pool”), Old Norse dǫkk (“pit, depression”), from Proto-Germanic *dankwaz (“dark”). However, some trace it to a West Germanic source such as Dutch damp (“vapor”) or Middle High German damph, both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dampaz (“smoke, steam, vapor”). Modern slang senses derived from the drug sense; compare based (“awesome, especially in a right-wing context online”) from drug terminology freebased.

1. Dark, damp and humid.

   “The dank cave was chilly and spooky.”

   “Now that the fields are dank and ways are mire.”

2. Moist and sticky, (by extension) highly potent.

   “That was dank bud.”

3. Great, awesome.
4. Expounding right-wing views in a cool way; based.

   “His house organ Breitbart and a host of Trump-right websites and news outlets sang praises to his dank genius.”

   “One thing that always brings me joy at this time of year is to spot a really dank meme. Or seeing the number of plays on my Jordan Peterson podcast, or beholding one of my mutuals get traction on X with a thread on Cultural Marxism and Gender Ideology[…]”

noun

1. A small silver coin formerly used in Persia.

verb

Etymology: From Middle English danken, from the adjective (see above).

1. To moisten, dampen; used of mist, dew etc.