punk 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of punknext
1
as in unacceptable
falling short of a standard she plays a punk game of tennis, so you won't have any trouble beating her

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrible
extremely unsatisfactory the acting in the movie ranged all the way from poor to punk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sick
temporarily suffering from a disorder of the body I've been feeling punk today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

punk

2 of 2

noun

ˈpəŋk How to pronounce punk (audio)
1
as in novice
a person who is just starting out in a field of activity an impertinent punk who was trying to tell senior colleagues how to do their jobs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang the vigilante was hailed by some as a hero for standing up to the punks who had repeatedly threatened his family

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in garbage
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense claims made by cosmetic companies about their antiaging creams that turned out to be a lot of punk

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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 punk
Adjective
Fridmann, who co-produced with Ahee and comes from a neo-psych background, may seem like an odd choice for Protomartyr and their post-punk tension, yet the gamble works. — David Harris, SPIN, 28 Sep. 2026 Danny Boyle adopts a similar strategy with this snazzy screen adaptation, shot through with kinetic energy, convulsive editing and a liberal sprinkling of post-punk, electro-pop and indie rock that thumbs its nose at period accuracy. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Noun
His latest album, the adventurously genre-agnostic Crybaby, carries the frenetic energy of punk, funk, jazz, and everything therein. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 28 Oct. 2026 Rider seems to be agnostic about what’s dressy or casual; austere or bohemian; sporty or formal; preppy or punk; town or country. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for punk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for punk
  1. unacceptable
  2. terrible
  3. sick
  4. novice
  5. thug
  6. garbage
  7. wrong
  8. horrible
Adjective
  • William James Middle received its fifth unacceptable rating in a row in the 2025-26 school year.
    — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Not going for it on 4th down, and then settling for a field goal attempt with a 3 point lead is unacceptable!
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • The bat lay on its back, soggy and wretched, here in the waning hours of this terrible day.
    — Téa Obreht, New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2026
  • An ugly fight between teammates during training camp was a terrible start to a season that officially began with a loss against North Carolina, a game in Dublin that TCU essentially sold, against the desires of Dykes.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Ridly Greig was nursing his own lower-body injury, and Tyler Kleven was too sick to play.
    — Julian McKenzie, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The state’s health department cautions that the true number is most certainly higher because not everyone who gets sick seeks medical care.
    — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of sick
Noun
  • By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Thomas was a novice attorney who had already run and lost as the Republican candidate for state attorney general.
    — Michael Kiefer, Washington Post, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of novice
Noun
  • The other was Albrecht Hohler, thirty, a Communist member of the paramilitary group the Red Front Fighters and well known locally as a particularly vicious thug—a petty criminal who had been released from jail only a few months earlier.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of thug
Noun
  • Pumpkins get buried under other garbage in landfills and decompose without oxygen, releasing the potent greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere.
    — Dan Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Nov. 2026
  • All 32 packs of the above got sent into the garbage with Stop Sales.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of garbage
Adjective
  • Delay hydrangea pruning because cutting at the wrong time can eliminate next season’s blooms.
    — The Spruce, The Spruce, 5 Nov. 2026
  • On Wednesday, as the indexes were soaring, Jim Cramer had been warning that Wall Street's first reaction to the midterm Democratic wave might be wrong.
    — Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • Their monthlong travel by ship was under horrible conditions.
    — Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
  • While the fire was horrible, Hong said some blessings have emerged from the tragedy.
    — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of horrible

Browse Nearby Words

punitive damages
punk
punks
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Cite this Entry

“Punk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/punk. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about punk

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