dank

Meaning

Adj

1. Dark, damp and humid.
2. (figuratively) Moist and sticky, (by extension) highly potent.
3. (Internet, ironic, often) Great, awesome.
4. Expounding right-wing views in a cool way; based.

Noun

1. (uncountable) Moisture; humidity; water.
2. (uncountable) Dankness; a dark, moist and usually unpleasant atmosphere.
3. (slang, uncountable) Strong, high-quality cannabis.

Verb

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

Noun

A small silver coin formerly used in Persia.

Synonyms

moist

damp

humid

clammy

wet

soggy

swampy

mildewed

dampened

moistened

moldy

musty

rainy

saturated

undried

dewy

drenched

liquid

Translations

humide

feucht

moite

húmedo

yaş

nemli

rutubetli

vochtig

fort

malsano y húmedo

klam

freddo e umido

umido

υγρός

Pronounced as (IPA)

/dæŋk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: danke

Cognate with Swedish: dank

Cognate with Icelandic: dökk

Cognate with Old Norse: dǫkk

Cognate with Dutch: damp

Cognate with Middle High German: damph

In summary

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.