pukka

adjective

ˈpə-kə How to pronounce pukka (audio)
variants also pucka
Definition of pukkanext
as in genuine
being exactly as appears or as claimed wondering whether the old-looking ivory box was pukka—or just something recently manufactured in China

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 pukka And if my name were Nikki or Bobby, the state of the state would be pukka — sorry, strong. — Anand Giridharadas, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pukka
  1. genuine
  2. authentic
  3. real
  4. true
  5. honest
  6. certified
Adjective
  • With what seems like little embellishment to real locations (including a genuine culture of female-only caddies sporting bright colors), the movie captures a languid, top-down strangeness.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The aesthetic lineage Wingard invokes relied on the genuine nastiness of works like Faster, Pussycat!
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of genuine
Adjective
  • Small strategic changes—from strengthening the opening hook to featuring more authentic voices or making the next step clearer—can have a meaningful impact on whether viewers actually take action.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Creators that have authentic connections to sports and other lifestyle verticals are invaluable to marketers.
    — William Earl, Variety, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of authentic
Adjective
  • A lot of teams at the bottom might be tanking for Arch Manning, and there is no real new blood at quarterback this season.
    — Vic Tafur, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Many companies now rely on AI screening tools that filter applications based on keywords rather than real qualifications.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of real
Adjective
  • There was skepticism about Vizzina, who threw only 105 passes in his first three years at Clemson and then was pushed by true freshman Tait Reynolds for the starting role in preseason camp.
    — Antonio Morales, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • This is true for the franchise as a whole; RHOA is the city that turned Housewives into a sport that requires real skill and charisma.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of true
Adjective
  • Rational, honest people understand that a part of her appeal is to middle America, particularly white people in middle America.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a lot in this film to be honest, but the first one that comes to mind is probably a moment where Tyler is leading his group in a conversation with the king for the first time.
    — Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of honest
Adjective
  • Florida has just 52 certified headache specialists, so for a worker in rural Florida, a diagnosis can mean a lost day’s wages and a long drive.
    — Brian T. Bailey, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The next morning, a West Virginia fisheries official arrived with a certified scale.
    — Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of certified

Browse Nearby Words

puking
pukka
pulchritude
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Pukka.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pukka. Accessed 9 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of stigma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All