1
as in worthless
having no usefulness
that broken watch you're wearing is junky
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheap
of low quality
a junky coat that is sure to fall apart after one winter
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 junky
The boys feel like their stuff is cheap and junky.
—
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Rather than launching a sleek, new encrypted messaging app, Musk dropped an insular, junky extension of his social media platform that happens to include encrypted messaging.
—Reece Rogers, Wired News, 27 Apr. 2026
But those competitors have released junky TikTok clones and slop generators.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Cheap gifts don’t have to be junky.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 25 Nov. 2025
Just in the past two days, the spicy, junky stuff has come in a bit ( quantum , drones , upstart nuclear power ), helpfully.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
The restaurant only has one Formica table in a junky storage area by the drink fountain.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2025
Blomkamp can’t quite recapture the explosive propulsion of his debut feature, but Damon is a sturdy hero, and the director creates a convincingly junky future.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Windows Search includes a bunch of extra graphics and junky newsfeed items and apps by default.
—Ars Technica, 19 Feb. 2025
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 16 May 2026
Rather than launching a sleek, new encrypted messaging app, Musk dropped an insular, junky extension of his social media platform that happens to include encrypted messaging.
—Reece Rogers, Wired News, 27 Apr. 2026
But those competitors have released junky TikTok clones and slop generators.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 28 Jan. 2026
Cheap gifts don’t have to be junky.
—Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 25 Nov. 2025
Just in the past two days, the spicy, junky stuff has come in a bit ( quantum , drones , upstart nuclear power ), helpfully.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 17 Oct. 2025
The restaurant only has one Formica table in a junky storage area by the drink fountain.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 May 2025
Blomkamp can’t quite recapture the explosive propulsion of his debut feature, but Damon is a sturdy hero, and the director creates a convincingly junky future.
—Jason Bailey, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
Windows Search includes a bunch of extra graphics and junky newsfeed items and apps by default.
—Ars Technica, 19 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junky
Adjective
-
To bow and scrape before this worthless outsider is beneath me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
-
Don't think the free themes are worthless; some rival Squarespace's slick visual style.—
Jordan Minor,
PC Magazine,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
Strained by tighter budgets and product price increases, more shoppers are willing to ditch their favorite brand for a cheaper alternative, a new study finds.—
Betty Lin-Fisher,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
The simpler, cheaper, more snow-friendly autonomous driving hardware is welcome, too.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The riskiest habit is preheating an empty nonstick pan on high heat.—
Ryan Brennan
June 2,
Sacbee.com,
3 June 2026
-
The dog paces to and fro, hackles bristling, snapping at the empty air, its head turning one way, then the other, as if aware of invisible foes in the valley around them.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Historically, South America has proven irresistible to certain inhabitants of the northern hemisphere eager to escape the consequences of their terrible actions.—
David Futrelle,
Washington Post,
4 June 2026
-
In retrospect, the Supreme Court decision that opened the widespread legalization of sports betting was a terrible, terrible mistake.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Common travel regrets stem from preventable issues like poor planning, budget problems, and choosing the wrong companions.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
O’Farrell’s inclination for narratives propelled by brutal coincidence and fatally poor timing tenders a Hardy-esque vision of the world, one that emphasizes the rigid, often cruel limits of an individual’s jurisdiction over the course of their life.—
Rachel Vorona Cote,
Vulture,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
But that’s made even worse by the fact that a significant portion of these observational studies did not even have a comparison group.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 June 2026
-
The views over the city aren’t bad either.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
Learning how to be the favorite, who plays under the pressure of expectation, instead of how to be the underdog, who plays with the freedom of the unexpected, can make plenty of players vulnerable against an inferior foe at the business end of a tournament.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
This has encouraged debates on the extent to which metajournalism is different from—or even inferior to—existing practices of journalism.—
Steve Paulussen,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Anyone on the market for a new house over the past six years has had rotten luck.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
29 May 2026
-
Advocates say the rotten food and lack of basic medical care is so bad some detainees are even on a hunger strike.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Junky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junky. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
