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Glite Dictionary
🧳 To drop heavily 🎹 To pluck sharply 🎸 A twang sound 🐴 To thud ⚾ A soft hit
to plunk

to plunk

2 6.7
To pull a string lightly to make a short musical note
  • verb
  • /plʌŋk/
translation icon : pulsar
  • Her daughter had taken lessons for a few years, and Carolyn could plunk out hymns, but lately she hadn't even bothered to have it tuned.
  • plunk the piano
  • plunk out a tune
  • plunk a few notes

I'm not saying piano is easy, but you can plunk a melody on a piano and and a key will have a certain pitch, right.

Examples

  • He's just plunking bass notes.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Every few seconds, a fish burst from the surface and plunked musically back into the dark blue water.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • I'm no musician, but I can plunk out a tune, and one had been stuck in my head since the night before.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • I'm not saying piano is easy, but you can plunk a melody on a piano and and a key will have a certain pitch, right.

    Rick Beato

  • Delores plunks a carefree song on an old Gibson, looks up at the moon.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I'm plunking out random notes cause I don't know how to play the piano, because I never finished the piano lessons you bought when I was 9.

    The Battle of the River Plate (1956)

  • As Miss Lucy Jessup at the upright piano on the back of a Dodge truck plunked out the first notes and voices rose, Billy Ray threw the switch.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • She plunked the strings of her guitar to play a melody for her friends.

  • As he plunked the piano keys, melodies filled the room with joy.

  • He took a moment to plunk out a few notes on the ukulele before the party.

Synonyms

to pick
vsto plunk
179 3.2

To pluck instrument strings with fingers or a small tool

is lighter and sharper than a tool or finger driven pull
to pluck
vsto plunk
77 3.5

To pull something out quickly with the fingers

is a delicate musical string pull rather than rough removal of objects
pickin'
vsto plunk
  • Informal
4 9.9

Playing an instrument like a guitar or banjo by plucking strings

is a single light sharp pull, not general instrumental playing
to pluck at
vsto plunk
3 6.1

To pull lightly and repeatedly at something with your fingers

is a single light sharp pull, not repeated tugging
to pluck the string
vsto plunk
1 3.9

Gently pull and release a string on an instrument like a guitar or harp to make a sound

is a single light but sharp string pull rather than a general gentle action
to plink
vsto plunk
1 7.3

To make a short high sound by hitting small hard things

is a light sharp string pull, not simply a struck ringing sound
to twank
vsto plunk
9.9

To pluck a string or rubber band to make a sharp, clear sound

is a light sharp pull but less focused on loud resonance
to plock
vsto plunk
  • Archaic
9.9

To pick small things off with your fingers, like fruit or threads

is a light musical string pull, not removing food or objects

Phrasal Verbs

to plunk down
  • Informal
6 6.7

To put something down so it makes a noise or to pay money quickly

to plunk for
  • Informal
8.5

To choose to support someone, often by voting

How Hard

to yank
196 4.1
to snap
88 1.6
to plunk
2 6.7
to flick
60 2.3
to brush
133 1.6

Surface Forms

plunk infinitive
plunked past
plunked past participle
plunking present participle
plunks third person singular

Etymology

Plunk as a verb comes from the same sound idea and copies the quick twang you hear when you pluck a string. So to 'plunk' a note is to make that short, twanging sound on an instrument.