QUEER WORD
TWUNK

What it means:

A twunk is a young, attractive man who has the smooth-faced appeal of a twink, but with more muscle.

Think of it as a twink with gains - still youthful, still pretty, but with a gym membership (and maybe with a protein shake in hand).

It’s a portmanteau of twink and hunk, and it captures that perfect middle ground between boyish charm and beefy biceps.

Let's Use It In A Sentence:

Barry has been paying £75 a month for a gym membership, but he doesn't realise that this alone won't magically turn him into a twunk

A Little Bit of History:

While the term twunk has been floating around since at least the early 2000s, it really found its moment in the 2010s, thanks to internet culture and (the sudden overabundance of) gym selfies.

It’s part of a broader trend in gay slang that categorises men based on body type, age, hairiness, and vibe. You’ve no doubt heard them already - terms like otter, bear, wolf, cub, and chub all fall into this lexicon.

But twunk holds a special place for me. Partly because it’s just fun to say (try it!), but also because it exists right at the centre of the spectrum:

• Too buff to be a twink

• Too smooth to be a hunk or a jock

• Too young to be a daddy

And like most gay slang, twunk walks the line between flirty and shady - it all depends on who's saying it and whether the twunk in question just tried to steal your boyfriend.

FAQ: What People Ask About Twunks

Is ‘twunk’ a compliment or an insult?
It’s usually used playfully—and sometimes admiringly! But it can also poke fun at guys who take their shirtless selfies a little too seriously. Like all queer slang, tone matters.

Can someone be both a twunk and a jock?
Sure. These categories are fluid. If you’re muscular, into sports, and still have that youthful glow, you probably tick both boxes.

Do twunks age out of the label?
Eventually, yes. Twunks usually skew under 30, and go through their own kind of twink death. But hey, labels are flexible. If you’ve got twunk energy in your 40s, I won’t stop you (but I might ask for your skin-care routine).

What’s the difference between a twink and a twunk?
A twink is usually younger, slimmer, and less muscular - fresh-faced and boyish. A twunk, on the other hand, still has that youthful energy but with a bit more muscle and a bit less innocence. Basically, if a twink discovered protein shakes and a bench press, he might evolve into a twunk.

Is ‘twunk’ always used positively?
Not always. Like most queer slang, it depends on the tone and context. Some people use twunk playfully or even aspirationally, while others might use it as a bit of a dig (especially if the twunk in question is also a little stuck up and full of himself).

Are there lesbian or non-male equivalents to twunks?
Great question! While “twunk” is typically used for cis gay men, queer communities are endlessly creative with labels. You might hear people use terms like himbo, stud, or soft butch depending on the vibe. Language is flexible—use what feels right.

Where did the word ‘twunk’ come from?
It’s a portmanteau of ‘twink’ and ‘hunk,’ and popped up in queer slang sometime in the early 2000s as a way to describe that in-between body type: lean but visibly built. As with a lot of queer slang, though, we don’t know the exact origin.