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
Example Sentences
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
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
Kincaid programmed much of the station’s regular playlist, a musical soup blending everything from blues, bluegrass, post-punk and other forms of rock to jazz, classical and big band selections.
—Mark Woolsey, ajc, 13 Jan. 2022
Sire’s next notable signing was Talking Heads, a kinetic, quirky outfit led by David Byrne that became one of the signature bands of post-punk and new wave.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2023
Emma Glassman-Hughes, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
In the early two-thousands, bands from cultural hinterlands—Boca Raton, Las Vegas, the suburbs of New Jersey and Illinois, Long Island—took their predecessors’ interest in private emotion and the legacy of punk and added a new ingredient: pop ambition.
—Peter C. Baker, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
Then consider the upcoming season’s standout ready-to-wear trends: the va-va-voom hourglass silhouette, power dressing, utilitarian shapes and the anarchic punk.
—Laura Hawkins, Vogue, 19 July 2023
The Offspring The Offspring tore it up at Innings Festival this year, reasserting their standing at the forefront of the ‘90s punk explosion.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2023
Centered around aggressive punk rock music and also rooted in anti-conformity, punk produced some memorable fashion and fantastic art.
—Jacob Linden, Redbook, 28 July 2023
A week after political punk band Anti-Flag disbanded with no explanation, the group’s singer, Justin Sane (born Justin Geever), posted a lengthy message to Instagram explaining the reasoning behind their split.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 July 2023
The two-day punk festival happening in D.C. this weekend is called Reunion Summer.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 July 2023
The Pittsburgh punk group abruptly disbanded last week, deleting their website and social media pages without any explanation.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023
See More
Adjective
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
Kincaid programmed much of the station’s regular playlist, a musical soup blending everything from blues, bluegrass, post-punk and other forms of rock to jazz, classical and big band selections.
—Mark Woolsey, ajc, 13 Jan. 2022
Sire’s next notable signing was Talking Heads, a kinetic, quirky outfit led by David Byrne that became one of the signature bands of post-punk and new wave.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2023
Noun
Over the course of the venue’s lifespan, Great Scott hosted DJs, standup comics, and some of the city’s most legendary punk and indie shows.
—Emma Glassman-Hughes, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
In the early two-thousands, bands from cultural hinterlands—Boca Raton, Las Vegas, the suburbs of New Jersey and Illinois, Long Island—took their predecessors’ interest in private emotion and the legacy of punk and added a new ingredient: pop ambition.
—Peter C. Baker, The New Yorker, 28 July 2023
Then consider the upcoming season’s standout ready-to-wear trends: the va-va-voom hourglass silhouette, power dressing, utilitarian shapes and the anarchic punk.
—Laura Hawkins, Vogue, 19 July 2023
The Offspring The Offspring tore it up at Innings Festival this year, reasserting their standing at the forefront of the ‘90s punk explosion.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 29 July 2023
Centered around aggressive punk rock music and also rooted in anti-conformity, punk produced some memorable fashion and fantastic art.
—Jacob Linden, Redbook, 28 July 2023
A week after political punk band Anti-Flag disbanded with no explanation, the group’s singer, Justin Sane (born Justin Geever), posted a lengthy message to Instagram explaining the reasoning behind their split.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 27 July 2023
The two-day punk festival happening in D.C. this weekend is called Reunion Summer.
—Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 July 2023
The Pittsburgh punk group abruptly disbanded last week, deleting their website and social media pages without any explanation.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 26 July 2023
See More
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.
Word History
Phrases Containing punk
Dictionary Entries Near punk
Cite this Entry
“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/punk. Accessed 27 Aug. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on punk
Britannica English: Translation of punk for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about punk
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