honky-tonk

1 of 2

noun

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

honky-tonker

ˈhäŋ-kē-ˌtäŋ-kər 

ˈhȯŋ-kē-ˌtȯŋ-

noun

honky-tonk

2 of 2

adjective

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

Noun

Parton played in bars, clubs, stadiums and honky-tonks across the country, including in Fort Worth and North Texas. — Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

The Music City indie-rock band, led by the charismatic frontperson Oliver Pierce, brought their synth sounds and kinetic stage show to Jon Bon Jovi’s honky-tonk downtown for a daylong bill headlined by Cage the Elephant. — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 21 Aug. 2026

Adjective

Producers then planned to move the show into a vacant 42nd Street building that once housed New York’s Playboy Club, but after extensive renovations that turned the venue into a working Nashville-style honky-tonk bar, the run was scotched days before previews were to begin last March. — Greg Evans, Deadline, 16 Apr. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for honky-tonk

• bonk
• bronk
• cronk
• honk
• tonk