tonk

A player tonks their opponent in a friendly game of chess.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A type of light, fast motor vehicle: "tonk" is informal British slang for a small, fast car, often used in a derogatory or affectionate sense.
   • A type of card game: "tonk" is a card game similar to rummy, popular in some English-speaking regions.

2. Verb:

   • To defeat easily (slang): "tonk" means to beat or defeat someone decisively, especially in a sporting or competitive context.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • He drives an old tonk that breaks down every week. (A small, unreliable car.)
  • We played a few rounds of tonk last night. (The card game.)

• Verb:

  • Our team tonked the opposition 5–0. (We defeated them easily.)
  • She tonked him in the chess match without breaking a sweat. (She beat him convincingly.)

Advanced Usage

• "to get tonked": to be heavily defeated.
  • They got tonked in the final match. (They lost badly.)
• "tonk it": to hit something hard, especially in sports like cricket or golf.
  • He tonked the ball over the boundary. (He struck it powerfully.)

Variants and Related Words

• Tonk (adj, informal): describing something as cheap, shoddy, or of poor quality.
  • That's a tonk piece of furniture — it fell apart in a week. (Low-quality.)

Synonyms

• Defeat: to win against someone.
• Thrash: to beat severely (in a game or fight).
• Drub: to hit or beat repeatedly.

Phrasal Verbs

• Tonk off: to defeat decisively and quickly.
  • We tonked them off in the first half. (We defeated them early in the match.)

Related Idioms

• Tonk someone around: to treat someone roughly or defeat them thoroughly.
  • The champion tonked his opponent around the ring. (He dominated the fight.)