Use fink as insulting slang for a snitch, informer, strikebreaker, or person judged contemptible.
Use fink as insulting slang for a snitch, informer, strikebreaker, or person judged contemptible.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| A fink sang in the tree. | A finch sang in the tree. |
| He is a fink because he helped us. | He is a loyal friend because he helped us. |
| She called the teacher a fink. | She called the student who told the teacher a fink. |
| The fink protected the secret. | The fink revealed the secret. |
Use fink most often with on before the person betrayed, or with to before the authority told.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He finked his coworker. | He finked on his coworker. |
| She finked on the police. | She finked to the police. |
| They finked the secret. | They revealed the secret. |
| He finked after everyone praised him. | He finked after the police questioned him. |
Use fink only in informal or deliberately sharp contexts, since it usually carries contempt.
Finch for fink changes the meaning from an insulting slang word to a bird name.
Origin uncertain, but usually compared with German Fink, literally "finch" and also used in pejorative compounds, or with German student slang for someone outside a student association.
What does fink mean?
Fink is insulting slang for a snitch, informer, strikebreaker, or disloyal person.
Is fink a rude word?
Fink is not obscene, but it is insulting and usually shows contempt.
Can fink be a verb?
Yes. To fink means to tell on someone or reveal information to an authority.
What does fink on someone mean?
Fink on someone means to inform against that person or betray their secret.
Is fink the same as snitch?
Fink and snitch are close, but fink can also suggest a strikebreaker or generally contemptible person.
What is the difference between fink and finch?
Fink is slang for an informer or betrayer, while finch is a small bird.
Where does fink come from?
The origin is uncertain, but it is often linked with German Fink, meaning finch and used in pejorative expressions.
Is fink formal English?
No. Fink is informal slang and is usually avoided in formal writing.