punk
1Slang.
something or someone worthless or unimportant.
a young ruffian; hoodlum.
an inexperienced youth.
a young male partner of a gay man.
an apprentice, especially in the building trades.
Prison Slang. a passive or submissive male inmate, especially one who is used for sex by another male inmate.
a style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, makeup, etc., and the defiance of social norms of behavior, usually associated with punk rock musicians and fans.
a punker.
Archaic. a prostitute.
Informal. poor in quality or condition.
of, relating to, or characteristic of punk rock: a punk band.
pertaining to, characteristic of, or adopting punk styles: punk youths; punk hairstyles in various colors.
Origin of punk
1Words Nearby punk
Other definitions for punk (2 of 3)
Origin of punk
2Other definitions for -punk (3 of 3)
a combining form extracted from cyberpunk used to denote a rebellious, alternative genre or aesthetic in speculative fiction, art, fashion, etc., and added to a word that names its distinctive theme, often a form of technology: steampunk; solarpunk; hopepunk.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use punk in a sentence
He has been a regular at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Fortune Global Forum, appeared at Alibaba events dressed as a punk rocker and Michael Jackson, and even performed in a martial arts movie.
Is Jack Ma missing? The rumors alone represent a chilling new message from Beijing | claychandler | January 5, 2021 | FortuneI then recorded a punk version using Bruce Smith on drums and I got him to play drums on this really rough and tumble version.
‘Lovers Rock’—The Story Behind The Music In Steve McQueen’s Tribute To Reggae | cmurray | November 28, 2020 | Essence.comWe were skateboarders and listened to punk, but he hardly ever owned a skateboard or showed interest in bands.
Their songs include jazz, funk, punk, hip-hop stylings and the brilliant musicianship of some of the best late-1970s punk and art rock.
It’s called Reasons to Be Cheerful, which comes from a song that came out during the punk era.
He plays an aging punk rocker and I play the drummer from his old band.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe best, or at least most successful, are bridging the gap between punk-rock DIY ethos and social-media savvy.
On Tour With The Head and the Heart, Indie Rock’s Next Big Thing | James Joiner | December 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTLegs McNeil, of punk magazine fame, once called him “cute” and “charming.”
‘All Good Cretins Go to Heaven’: Dee Dee Ramone’s Twisted Punk Paintings | Melissa Leon | December 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHer new memoir looks back at her life lived by the principles of punk.
And then, at the close of our conversation, her punk roots reared their head like they had never disappeared.
You c'llect all the old punk that the cons dump out with their dinner pans.
Prison Memoirs of an Anarchist | Alexander BerkmanHe took a piece of punk from a waterproof box that he carried in his pocket and focussed the sun's rays on it.
The Land of the Changing Sun | William N. HarbenThen up comes a sudden wind and some of the red cinders are blown into the dead leaves or punk grass.
The Outdoor Chums After Big Game | Captain Quincy AllenFive of them there wasfive lives, and all for one pine tree that turned out punk when it was cut.
The Boss of Wind River | David Goodger (goodger@python.org)punk moved in and warmed his feet, smiling darkly at the other's volubility which he only half understood, but saying nothing.
The Wendigo | Algernon Blackwood
British Dictionary definitions for punk (1 of 2)
/ (pʌŋk) /
a youth movement of the late 1970s, characterized by anti-Establishment slogans and outrageous clothes and hairstyles
an adherent of punk
short for punk rock
(as modifier): a punk record
an inferior, rotten, or worthless person or thing
worthless articles collectively
a petty criminal or hoodlum
obsolete a young male homosexual; catamite
obsolete a prostitute
inferior, rotten, or worthless
Origin of punk
1Derived forms of punk
- punkish, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for punk (2 of 2)
/ (pʌŋk) /
dried decayed wood that smoulders when ignited: used as tinder
any of various other substances that smoulder when ignited, esp one used to light fireworks
Origin of punk
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cultural definitions for punk
A type of rock 'n' roll with loud, energetic music and often harsh lyrics criticizing traditional society and culture. It was named after the punks, an anarchistic youth movement that surfaced in Great Britain in the 1970s.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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