1 C1 informal
To fill a place with a very strong, unpleasant smell.
"The dog rolled in something dead and skunked up the entire car."
separable
skunk up
C1 informal separable transitive
To cause something to smell very bad, as if a skunk has sprayed it.
In plain English
To make a place smell really horrible, like the spray from a skunk.
What does "skunk up" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To make something smell like a skunk — entirely literal in origin.
Actually means
To make a place smell really horrible, like the spray from a skunk.
Usage tip
Chiefly North American, since skunks are native to the Americas and the cultural reference is strongest there. Rare and informal. More likely to be encountered in rural or regional American English.
Words that pair with "skunk up"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
room car house air clothes
How to conjugate "skunk up"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
skunk up
I/you/we/they
3rd person
skunks up
he/she/it
Past simple
skunked up
yesterday
Past participle
skunked up
have + pp
-ing form
skunking up
continuous
Hear "skunk up" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "skunk up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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