hon·ky-tonk
ˈhäŋ-kē-ˌtäŋk 
ˈhȯŋ-kē-ˌtȯŋk
1
: a usually tawdry nightclub or dance hall
especially
: one that features country music
2
: a district marked by places of cheap entertainment
3
: country music that has a heavy beat and lyrics dealing usually with vice or misfortune
1
: of, used in, or being a form of ragtime piano playing performed typically on an upright piano
2
: marked by or characteristic of honky-tonks
Examples of honky-tonk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Fort Worth knows a thing or two about live music, Western heritage and a good honky-tonk.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Broadway and Downtown deliver the classic honky-tonk energy — think a live-music-heavy, country version of a nonstop party strip.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Middle Of Nowhere, her follow-up to 2024’s Deeper Well, due out this spring, finds new inspiration on familiar roads of heartbreak, hope, and healing, still dealing in honky-tonk wisdom with open-hearted grit.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
There are also two honky-tonk hopefuls from Nashville.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.
—Phil Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
The record is heavy on Ketchum’s baritone vocals and electric honky-tonk sound that helped the Train Robbers gain a fanbase in the Pacific Northwest since their 2017 debut, Gravel.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Gilley, a chart-topping country singer and nightclub owner, became synonymous with honky-tonk hits and Gilley’s Club, the Texas nightspot that helped spark the 1980s’ urban cowboy craze.
—Bob Mehr, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 20 Jan. 2026
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Adjective
Elsewhere on the project, Bowlin, aided by producer David Ferguson (Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson), moves between honky-tonk-laden melodies and murder ballads, sometimes even dipping his toe into the sphere of alternative rock.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 11 Apr. 2026
Fort Worth knows a thing or two about live music, Western heritage and a good honky-tonk.
—Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Broadway and Downtown deliver the classic honky-tonk energy — think a live-music-heavy, country version of a nonstop party strip.
—Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 8 Apr. 2026
Middle Of Nowhere, her follow-up to 2024’s Deeper Well, due out this spring, finds new inspiration on familiar roads of heartbreak, hope, and healing, still dealing in honky-tonk wisdom with open-hearted grit.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
There are also two honky-tonk hopefuls from Nashville.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
As evening falls, the crowd drifts downtown to the Blue Moon Saloon, a honky-tonk that resembles a back porch more than a concert venue.
—Phil Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2026
The record is heavy on Ketchum’s baritone vocals and electric honky-tonk sound that helped the Train Robbers gain a fanbase in the Pacific Northwest since their 2017 debut, Gravel.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 30 Jan. 2026
Gilley, a chart-topping country singer and nightclub owner, became synonymous with honky-tonk hits and Gilley’s Club, the Texas nightspot that helped spark the 1980s’ urban cowboy craze.
—Bob Mehr, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honky-tonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honky-tonk. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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