junk 1 of 2

noun

ˈjəŋk How to pronounce junk (audio)
Definition of junknext
1
as in rubbish
that which is of low quality or worth couldn't believe that such junk was chosen to be read for the book club my car is junk—it spends more time in the shop than on the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material junk on the side of the road waiting for the trash collection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

junk

2 of 2

verb

as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted we'll have to junk this old car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word junk different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of junk are cast, discard, scrap, shed, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

When is it sensible to use cast instead of junk?

The meanings of cast and junk largely overlap; however, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

Where would discard be a reasonable alternative to junk?

Although the words discard and junk have much in common, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do shed and slough relate to one another, in the sense of junk?

Shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of junk
Noun
No one has ever been seriously injured by falling space junk, but there are a few examples of property damage. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026 The family was living in Berkeley in the mid-fifties when, in free moments, Drexler began putting together sculptures from the contents of her junk drawer. — Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Sets would be built and then junked only to be rebuilt again at considerable cost due to an overall lack of familiarity with standard Hollywood filmmaking procedures. — Chris Lee, Vulture, 27 Apr. 2026 South Carolina leads with its defense without junking the game. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for junk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junk
  1. rubbish
  2. garbage
  3. dump
  4. trash
  5. debris
  6. discard
  7. muck
  8. dust
Noun
  • Both men were arrested and charged with criminal mischief, criminal conspiracy and scattering rubbish.
    — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Twisted Teens are far from rubbish, but that isn't stopping them from playing in the trash for their latest music video.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • The growing garbage fire has warped a landfill hillside, which could potentially trigger and avalanche of garbage and leachate.
    — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • In the third, Brock Boeser and Jamie Oleksiak scored what seemed like garbage-time goals.
    — Thomas Drance, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Verb
  • Anytime a stock is spun off, there can be an adjustment period as investors who received shares due to ownership in its former parent decide to dump it.
    — Kevin Stankiewicz,Jeff Marks, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Farmers dumped manure on the streets of Turin on Friday as mass demonstrations unfurled across more than 50 cities in Italy.
    — Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of dump
Noun
  • The danger can begin when a battery is placed in a trash or recycling bin, Klein said.
    — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The rats tear open trash bags and seem to resist mitigation efforts, including poison, peppermint spray and even freezing trash until collection day.
    — Joe Brandt, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • The crash, which occurred in a flat stretch surrounded by olive fields in between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, left carriages shredded into bits of metal and other material, scattering debris down a gravel slope.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 29 Oct. 2026
  • This clarifying toner exfoliates skin to gently remove debris and dead skin cells, while rosemary, aloe, and chamomile extract soften and soothe.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of debris
Verb
  • Treating this salty wastewater is expensive and energy-intensive, so much of it is usually discarded because processing the brine at concentrators costs too much.
    — Muskan Bhatia, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Prior to Harmony's launch, the last new room addition to the ISS had occurred in 2001, when Russia's Pirs docking module (since discarded) arrived.
    — Tariq Malik, Space.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of discard
Noun
  • Wolf has never sounded more grounded than with 10 toes down in the muck.
    — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026
  • As feminists fought patriarchy’s attempt to render women vulnerable socially and leave us dependent on men for money and more, the all-too-human inevitability of vulnerability and dependence got lost in the muck.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of muck
Noun
  • But there are actual terrifying objects in space, entities operating on a scale that crush our minds and reduce our human experience to a mote of dust floating in the dark.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Keep appliances clean and free of dust, following the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of dust

Browse Nearby Words

juniors
junk
junked
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Cite this Entry

“Junk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junk. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on junk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about junk

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