honky-tonk
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
Examples of honky-tonk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During these months, the greenery is at its peak, live music pours out of honky-tonks, and there are plenty of places to sit outside on a patio with a great meal and a tasty glass of Tennessee whiskey.
—
Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
Throughout their first five albums, the band has spun a web, not unlike the orb weavers of their native Virginia, that marries country, rock, honky-tonk grit and Appalachian soul with rowdy barroom energy.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The couple started dating in 2021 after being set up on a blind date and ended up at a honky-tonk.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 May 2026
On Sunday, the lineup includes Tatiana Hargreaves, a rising-star in the bluegrass fiddling scene, with her band and special guest Michael Daves; the honky-tonk duo Caleb Lauder and Reeb Wllms with their band the Cali Cutups; and Pleasanton native and all-world strings player Tony Furtado.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
The video was filmed at Fort Worth Stockyards staple Billy Bob’s Texas last fall, according to a spokesperson for the world’s largest honky-tonk.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Its melody unfolds in legato phrases that drift across the bar line; its harmonic language leans toward George Gershwin’s chromaticism more than Hank Williams’s honky-tonk.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
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Abby Price, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026
Throughout their first five albums, the band has spun a web, not unlike the orb weavers of their native Virginia, that marries country, rock, honky-tonk grit and Appalachian soul with rowdy barroom energy.
—Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
The couple started dating in 2021 after being set up on a blind date and ended up at a honky-tonk.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 May 2026
On Sunday, the lineup includes Tatiana Hargreaves, a rising-star in the bluegrass fiddling scene, with her band and special guest Michael Daves; the honky-tonk duo Caleb Lauder and Reeb Wllms with their band the Cali Cutups; and Pleasanton native and all-world strings player Tony Furtado.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2026
The video was filmed at Fort Worth Stockyards staple Billy Bob’s Texas last fall, according to a spokesperson for the world’s largest honky-tonk.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Apr. 2026
Its melody unfolds in legato phrases that drift across the bar line; its harmonic language leans toward George Gershwin’s chromaticism more than Hank Williams’s honky-tonk.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honky-tonk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/honky-tonk. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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