plural punks
1
: a usually petty gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian
2
3
4
[probably partly from punk entry 3]
: nonsense, foolishness
5
archaic
: prostitute
1
a
: of or relating to punk rock
b
: relating to or being a style (as of dress or hair) inspired by punk rock
2
: very poor : inferior
played a punk game
3
: being in poor health
said that she was feeling punk
1
: wood so decayed as to be dry, crumbly, and useful for tinder
2
: a preparation (as of a stick of coated wood) that burns slowly and is used to ignite fuses especially of fireworks
Synonyms
Examples of punk in a Sentence
Adjective
she plays a punk game of tennis, so you won't have any trouble beating her
the acting in the movie ranged all the way from poor to punk
Recent Examples on the Web
Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 26 Mar. 2024
There was no one like me in his classroom, not the oversexed women with their careful, edited looks, not the punk and post-punk kids.
—Hazlitt, 10 May 2023
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Sire presciently signed or distributed music by a variety of top-flight punk and post-punk groups from the U.S. and abroad.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023
Absolutely, particularly in 1976 and ’77 when all those English punk bands were genuinely punk.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2021
What began as a penchant for a slightly punk aesthetic soon became the perfect partner to her own brand of old-school glamour.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2023
Paramore have shifted their sound before, trying out post-punk and even synth-pop, and This Is Why showcases yet another major vibe change.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2023
For January 1 This is a post-punk and new wave song.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2023
During a day that saw no less than Dolly Parton make her SXSW debut, the hottest ticket was arguably for Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight duo whose charmingly post-punk songs have made their upcoming album one of the most anticipated of the year.
—Christian Hoard, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2022
Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The filmmakers don’t spend much time on Kim’s punk acts in the name of cultural accessibility.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The two are executors of Joey and Johnny’s respective estates, and each own half of Ramones Productions Inc., which controls the pioneering punk band's music and other assets.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Nirvana hearkens back more to the punk days of the early Eighties.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024
And it can all be traced back to an unforgettable day as young fans at a traveling punk music festival.
—Gen Handley, SPIN, 29 Mar. 2024
Its designs blend psychedelic artwork with nostalgia: think cartoons, skull-and-crossbones, and eclectic punk iconography.
—Lindsey Bartlett, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Among the performers featured are D.C. punks Government Issue and Henry Rollins.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Crafted from 18-karat gold and silver, the minimalist bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces nod to a luxurious punk aesthetic.
—Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024
Adjective
The group’s anarchic music was like one of those cartoon fight clouds, with punk, post-punk, industrial, goth, psychedelia, college rock, and collage rock duking it out with old EC Comics, MAD magazines, and the Lone Star proclivity toward general orneriness.
—Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 26 Mar. 2024
There was no one like me in his classroom, not the oversexed women with their careful, edited looks, not the punk and post-punk kids.
—Hazlitt, 10 May 2023
In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Sire presciently signed or distributed music by a variety of top-flight punk and post-punk groups from the U.S. and abroad.
—Chris Morris, Variety, 2 Apr. 2023
Absolutely, particularly in 1976 and ’77 when all those English punk bands were genuinely punk.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Aug. 2021
What began as a penchant for a slightly punk aesthetic soon became the perfect partner to her own brand of old-school glamour.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 12 Jan. 2023
Paramore have shifted their sound before, trying out post-punk and even synth-pop, and This Is Why showcases yet another major vibe change.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, 11 Feb. 2023
For January 1 This is a post-punk and new wave song.
—Kris Holt, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2023
During a day that saw no less than Dolly Parton make her SXSW debut, the hottest ticket was arguably for Wet Leg, the Isle of Wight duo whose charmingly post-punk songs have made their upcoming album one of the most anticipated of the year.
—Christian Hoard, Rolling Stone, 19 Mar. 2022
Noun
And also the Cold War, when punk bands on either side of the Wall made music in defiance of national aims.
—Jason Farago, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2024
The filmmakers don’t spend much time on Kim’s punk acts in the name of cultural accessibility.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2024
The two are executors of Joey and Johnny’s respective estates, and each own half of Ramones Productions Inc., which controls the pioneering punk band's music and other assets.
—Ilana Kaplan, Peoplemag, 3 Apr. 2024
Nirvana hearkens back more to the punk days of the early Eighties.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 3 Apr. 2024
And it can all be traced back to an unforgettable day as young fans at a traveling punk music festival.
—Gen Handley, SPIN, 29 Mar. 2024
Its designs blend psychedelic artwork with nostalgia: think cartoons, skull-and-crossbones, and eclectic punk iconography.
—Lindsey Bartlett, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Among the performers featured are D.C. punks Government Issue and Henry Rollins.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024
Crafted from 18-karat gold and silver, the minimalist bracelets, earrings, rings, and necklaces nod to a luxurious punk aesthetic.
—Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 23 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'punk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near punk
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punk. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
punk
2 of 2 adjective1
: very poor in quality
played a punk game
2
: being in poor health
feeling punk today
3
a
: of or relating to punk rock
b
: relating to or being a style (as of clothing or hair) first inspired by punk rock
Etymology
Noun
origin unknown
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