junk food

noun

1
: food that is high in calories but low in nutritional content
2
: something that is appealing or enjoyable but of little or no real value
video junk food

Examples of junk food in a Sentence

worrying about kids eating too much junk food eating too many junk foods
Recent Examples on the Web Waheed blasts 50 Cent and loves junk food; Marie lives a few floors above her mother; and the narrator, who remains nameless, recounts her struggle with bipolar disorder. The New Yorker, 15 Apr. 2024 De Los Rios said Robles didn't let his runners eat junk food. Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 15 Apr. 2024 Stress is also linked to unhealthy lifestyle behaviors such as exercising less, drinking more, and eating junk food. Diane Harris, TIME, 15 Apr. 2024 Activist investors have been urging Nestle to move away from unhealthy products for a while, citing a plethora of risks that suggest the market for junk food is only likely to shrink in the future. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024 Studies have shown that people are more likely to crave fruits and vegetables over junk food when taking the drugs. Madison Muller, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024 Haigh then cuts to Adam sitting on his couch, eating junk food and watching junk TV until the wee hours. Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024 Analysts at Barclays, the bank that encouraged a shorting of junk food credits, were bullish on the prospects of French food manufacturer Danone. Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 8 Feb. 2024 People living in rural areas and with more physical activities as a lifestyle and with no junk food (or less) live longer and healthier. Torie Bosch, STAT, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'junk food.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of junk food was in 1952

Dictionary Entries Near junk food

Cite this Entry

“Junk food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junk%20food. Accessed 4 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

junk food

noun
: food that is high in calories but low in nutritional value

More from Merriam-Webster on junk food

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