1
as in worthless
having no usefulness
that broken watch you're wearing is junky
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in cheap
of low quality
a junky coat that is sure to fall apart after one winter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of junky
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
Walmart has the same problem as Amazon with junky, super-cheap listings, and even Newegg keeps listings up like this.
—Luke Larsen, Wired News, 28 Sep. 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
Master The Art Of Crafting Strong Prompts Strong prompts separate junky AI outputs from the innovative use of AI tools.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 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
But the visual jokes are dense and the look works for the setting and comedic ethos, reflecting the junky tourist-trap aesthetic that Mumolo and Wiig celebrate.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
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
Walmart has the same problem as Amazon with junky, super-cheap listings, and even Newegg keeps listings up like this.
—Luke Larsen, Wired News, 28 Sep. 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
Master The Art Of Crafting Strong Prompts Strong prompts separate junky AI outputs from the innovative use of AI tools.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 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
But the visual jokes are dense and the look works for the setting and comedic ethos, reflecting the junky tourist-trap aesthetic that Mumolo and Wiig celebrate.
—Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junky
Adjective
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The gain from a call option would exceed the return on the stock alone, but involves greater risk than simply buying the stock because the contracts can expire worthless.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
7 Jan. 2026
-
When Ukraine agreed to give up the nuclear weapons on its soil in the mid-1990s, Russia provided a security guarantee that proved worthless.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China have designed a new sodium-sulfur battery with higher power density and discharge capacity than before, enabling a cheaper, safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Fentanyl is cheap, compact, and lethal at microscopic doses, produced through decentralized networks designed to survive disruption.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That set up a dramatic final four minutes until Josh Doan scored a nearly 169-foot empty-netter to give the Sabres the breathing room for a 5-3 win.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
-
All of Bed Bath & Beyond’s complaints have contended that the carriers compounded the retailer’s operational and financial distress throughout the pandemic as shelves went empty and costs soared, ultimately leading to the company’s demise.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The groundbreaking research penetrated the last moments of the young nobleman, who suffered a terrible 26 blows.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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History is full of cases where great bands make terrible records, yet history stands speechless at what the Clash accomplished here.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In recent games, KU’s communication has been pretty poor on defense and that’s led to players taking (and too often missing) wide-open 3-pointers.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
10 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Iran is facing its worst drought in decades, raising fears of evacuations in Tehran while threatening the regime’s stability and nuclear ambitions, according to a leading environmental expert.—
Emma Bussey,
FOXNews.com,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Keeping bad things out of my body.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The Heat had beat up on inferior opponents this season before Saturday’s ugly loss to the Pacers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
-
The result is an inferior copy of the original.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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In a city in which the house always wins — and so many others lose and lose — the Raiders’ rotten run of futility is getting old.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
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Learn how to banish that rotten egg smell from your washer while keeping it fresh, clean, and odor-free.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Junky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junky. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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