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
Based on statistical models, the agency estimates there are millions more smaller pieces of space junk circling Earth’s orbit. — ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026 This is great news for keeping space clear of junk and extending satellites’ lifetimes—unless China turns that ability to get close to an uncooperative satellite into a military strategy. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • This comes at the expense of no movement in the wrist, but to be fair, having the lightsaber pointed in any other direction would look rubbish.
    — Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • Prosecutors said Aurora was one of seven children, ages 2 months to 17 years, who lived in an east San José house on Lancelot Lane that was filled with cockroaches, pet feces, garbage and mold.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Clean your car full of garbage elsewhere and don’t hold up a line of customers.
    — Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Verb
  • The account provides helpful context for understanding the public drama of Musk suddenly dumping Shivon Zilis, his most recent partner and the mother of four of his kids.
    — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Alex Freeland dumped beer into his mouth and all over his face.
    — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of dump
Noun
  • Officers in riot gear clashed with youths who set up street barricades using burning trash bins.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • In another demonstration, Argon helped a Boston Dynamics Spot robot practice opening a foot-pedal trash bin in simulation before attempting the task with physical objects.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of trash
Noun
  • Hours after the collapse in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, emergency services spokesperson Bilal Faizi said that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been pulled out and crews had cleared debris.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The hurricane had headed for the interior and Palm Beach was already clearing its debris.
    — Gerald R. Hunter, Outdoor Life, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of debris
Verb
  • Once discarded, these traps also inadvertently capture birds and other wildlife.
    — Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Responses with the error were discarded, as were voters who had already been attempted, and quotas were reset.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 3 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
  • And even for those who are holding down jobs, raises and promotions have become like gold dust.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Biddy covered most of the journey on foot—the equivalent of about six million steps—herding animals at the rear of her owner’s wagon company and choking her way through a moving screen of dust kicked up by the migrant caravan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 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 16 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on junk

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about junk

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