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

The family-run honky-tonk opened as a café in the 1960s, then added a dance floor after customers started asking for somewhere to move. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 23 Sep. 2026

Its most famous building is arguably Gruene Hall, the legendary honky-tonk where country music stars from George Strait to Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson have graced the stage. — Gabi De La Rosa, Travel + Leisure, 31 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