Standard Lemma guide

clunker

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈklʌŋkɚ/
  • rhymes with -ʌŋkə(ɹ)
  • CMU ARPABET: K L AH1 NG K ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A decrepit motor car.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • 2008 July 9, Jacqueline Mitchell, “America's Most Stolen Vehicles”, in Forbes magazine, So don't think for a moment that your old but tired vehicle matters only to you. Your clunker is cash money to professional thieves.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: banger, beater, bucket of bolts, bucket of rust, clunker, crate, crock, flivver, gas guzzler, hooptie, jalopy, junker, lemon, old banger, rattletrap, rustbucket, shed, shitbox, shitpot, shitcan, shitbucket, tin Lizzie, wreck

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Anything in poor condition or of poor quality.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The trachea or windpipe.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Cornwall, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The uvula.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Cornwall, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From clunk + -er.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: тарата́йка (taratájka) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: бри́чка (bríčka) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: тро́шка (tróška) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: тараля́сник (taraljásnik) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: ща́йга (štájga) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: кару́ца (karúca) — decrepit motor car
  • Bulgarian: копто́р (koptór) — decrepit motor car
  • Chinese Mandarin: 旧车 (jiù chē) — decrepit motor car
  • Czech: kraksna — decrepit motor car
  • Esperanto: aŭtaĉo — decrepit motor car
  • Finnish: rotisko — decrepit motor car
  • Finnish: rottelo — decrepit motor car
  • Finnish: romu — decrepit motor car
  • French: guimbarde — decrepit motor car
  • French: tacot — decrepit motor car
  • German: Klapperkiste — decrepit motor car
  • German: Schrottkarre — decrepit motor car
  • Greek: σαράβαλο (sarávalo) — decrepit motor car
  • Navajo: chidíchxǫ́ʼí — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: grat — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: rzęch — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: złom — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: gruchot — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: strucel — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: rupieć — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: wrak — decrepit motor car
  • Polish: dezel — decrepit motor car
  • Portuguese: calhambeque — decrepit motor car
  • Russian: драндулет (drandulet) — decrepit motor car
  • Spanish: chatarra — decrepit motor car
  • Spanish: cacharro — decrepit motor car
  • Xhosa: isikorokoro — decrepit motor car
  • Hungarian: vacak — anything in poor condition or of poor quality
  • Polish: grat — anything in poor condition or of poor quality
  • Polish: złom — anything in poor condition or of poor quality
  • Polish: rupieć — anything in poor condition or of poor quality
  • Russian: развалюха (razvaljuxa) — anything in poor condition or of poor quality