flunk
verb/flʌŋk/
Etymology Alteration of funk, or perhaps a blend of flinch + funk.
1
US, Ambitransitive Of a student, to fail a class; to not pass.
- He flunked math, again.
2
US Of a teacher, to deny a student a passing grade.
- Unsatisfied with Fred's progress, the teacher flunked him.
3
US, Broadly To fail any challenge
5
US To back out through fear. (Commonly in the phrase 'flunk it', the 'it' referring to a specific task avoided; sometimes without specific reference, describing a person's attitude to life in general.)
- Related terms
- flunk out