adj · noun · verb · 39 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈpʌŋk/
[ˈphʌŋk]
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ʌŋk
CMU ARPABET:P AH1 NG K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Worthless, contemptible, particularly
Bad, substandard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deplorable, inglorious, two-bit, valueless, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deridable, derisible, despicable, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disdainable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched, bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, screwy, shand, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, worth nothing, wutless, mid, subpar, ass, bad, below par, bottom-shelf, BTEC, bum, cheap and nasty, cheapshit, cheesy, chintzy, coffee-and, crap, crappo, crappy, craptastic, crapperific, craptabulous, craptacular, crummy, dogwater, flimsy, fourth-rate, gash, garbage, god-awful, inferior, low-grade, low-quality, low-rent, made in China, one-star, poor, poor man's, pound-shop, rinky-dink, ropy, rubbish, sad, schlocky, scrubby, second-rate, shoddy, slazy, slight, slim, shite, shitty, substandard, ticky-tacky, third-rate, tin-pot, trash, under par, woeful
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Worthless, contemptible, particularly
Thuggish, criminal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deplorable, inglorious, two-bit, valueless, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deridable, derisible, despicable, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disdainable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched, bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, screwy, shand, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, worth nothing, wutless, goony, larrikin, ruffianish, thuggy
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Worthless, contemptible, particularly
Cowardly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
Qualifier: chiefly African-American Vernacular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deplorable, inglorious, two-bit, valueless, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deridable, derisible, despicable, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disdainable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched, bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, screwy, shand, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, worth nothing, wutless, bitch-ass, gutless, spineless, backboneless, boneless, caitiff, candy-assed, chicken, chicken-hearted, chicken-livered, chickenshit, courageless, cowardish, cowardly, cowardy, cowhearted, cowish, craven, cravenhearted, cringey, dastard, dastardly, dickless, dough-faced, fainthearted, fearful, fraidy, gizzardless, heartless, invalorous, invertebrate, hen-hearted, kiasi, lily-livered, liver-faced, liver-hearted, low-hearted, miching, milky, milk-livered, mouse-hearted, mousy, nerveless, niddering, nidering, niding, nithing, nutless, pigeon-livered, poltroonish, poor-spirited, pusillanimous, pussylike, ratlike, rabbit-hearted, recrayed, retromingent, sissy, timid, timorous, unhearty, weak-kneed, white-hearted, white-livered, wimpish, yellow, yellow-bellied
Antonyms: none provided
4
adj
Meaning 4
Worthless, contemptible, particularly
Poorly, sickly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deplorable, inglorious, two-bit, valueless, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deridable, derisible, despicable, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disdainable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched, bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, screwy, shand, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, worth nothing, wutless, out of sorts, puny, ailing, bad, crank, crook, green about the gills, icky, ill, indisposed, infirm, like death warmed over, maladive, mawkish, off one's feed, on the Pat and Mick, Pat and Mick, poorly, queer, ropy, rough, sick, sickish, sickly, sick as a dog, sick as a parrot, tumid, under the weather, unhealthy, unwell, valetudinarian, valetudinary
Antonyms: none provided
5
adj
Meaning 5
Worthless, contemptible, particularly
Inexperienced.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, colloquial
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: deplorable, inglorious, two-bit, valueless, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deridable, derisible, despicable, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disdainable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched, bastardly, blown, cacky, chaffy, cocking, crapalicious, cruddy, cullionly, draffish, draffy, dreckish, drecky, duffing, floccinaucinihilipilificatious, for the birds, fucking, garbagey, good-for-naught, good-for-nothing, goodless, ineffectual, invaluable, jabberwocky, junky, mouldy, mucid, naughty, no-account, no good / no-good, nonvaluable, not worth a damn, not worth a dime, not worth a plug nickel, not worth a brass farthing, not worth a cent, not worth a cress, not worth a curse, not worth a Continental, not worth a farthing, not worth hell room, not worth a nickel, not worth a penny, not worth salt, not worth a whistle, nought, of no value, putid, rubbishly, rubbishy, sixpenny, screwy, shand, shitey, shitstained, shitty-ass, sorry-ass, strawlike, suckworthy, tenth-rate, toshy, trinkety, triobolar, tripy, unappreciated, unvaluable, vain, worth nothing, wutless, callow, green, raw, experienceless, inexperienced, unexperienced, fresh, new, pup, strange, unpracticed, unseasoned, unseen, unversed
Antonyms: none provided
6
adj
Meaning 6
Of or concerning punk rock or its associated subculture.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
You look very punk with your t-shirt, piercing, and chains.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A female prostitute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fornicatrix, lady of the night, wapping mort, abandons, alley cat, almah, bangtail, Bankside lady, bargirl, bat, beotch, blouze, blowen, blowsabella, brass nail, brasser, brass, broad, business girl, calico queen, callet, cat, chippy, chromo, coaster, cockatrice, cocotte, comfort girl, comfort woman, commoner, Covent Garden nun, creature of the night, croshabell, daughter of joy, dollymop, doxy, drab, Dutch widow, escort, fille de joie, flap, floozie, frail sister, Fulham virgin, gamester, gay lady, geebag, gillian, gill, girl of the game, girl rented overnight, good-time girl, GRO, hackney, harlot, Haymarket ware, hireling, 'ho, hoer, hoe, hook, hooker, hustler, Japayuki-san, jay, karayuki-san, laced mutton, lady of leisure, lady of light virtue, lady of pleasure, lady of the evening, lady of the game, lightskirt, loose woman, meat puppet, mermaid, minx, mob, moll, mort wap-apace, mot, mud kicker, mud-kicker, mudkicker, musk cat, mutton, nun, nymph of darkness, nymph of the pavé, nymph of the pavement, painted lady, Paphian, party girl, pavement princess, perdita, pimpette, pretty horsebreaker, priestess of Venus, pro skirt, prossie, prossy, pross, prostie, prostitute, prostitutor, prosty, prozzie, prozzy, pro, public woman, pucelle, puella publica, pug, punk, pussygirl, puta, put, quail, quean, quene, quiff, ribibe, scrubber, sex labourer, sex worker, skainsmate, skivvy, slag, slapper, slit, slut, sodomitess, soiled dove, stem siren, stew, street taco, strumpet, succubus, tart, tawaif, thotty, thot, tib, tom, treddle, trick turner, trollop, trug, trull, tweak, vice girl, wanton, wapping dell, wapping moll, wench, whore, woman of easy virtue, woman of ill fame, woman of ill repute, woman of the night, woman of the street, woman of the town, working girl
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A boy or younger man who engages in sexual intercourse by an older man as a (usually passive) homosexual partner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: catamite, gunsel
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A passive or effeminate homosexual man.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bottom
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A boy who accompanies a hobo, especially as used for sex.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, slang, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A male homosexual.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, derogatory, uncountable
Qualifier: chiefly African-American Vernacular
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
One who engages in sexual intercourse
A man forced or coerced into a homosexual relationship, especially in prison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, slang, uncountable
Examples
Because he was so weak, Vinny soon became Tony's punk.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: prison bitch
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
A worthless person, particularly
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, countable, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
20
noun
Meaning 20
A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
The fashion style associated with punk rock, typically involving leather, metal studs and pins, distressed clothing and confrontational slogans.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Topics: fashion, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
21
noun
Meaning 21
A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
A nonconformist social movement originally associated with punk rock and its fans, combining anarchism and radicalism, usually (but not necessarily) left-wing.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
22
noun
Meaning 22
A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
Any of the -punk genres, typically involving anachronistic technology and its social impact: dieselpunk, solarpunk, steampunk etc.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, in-compounds, uncountable, usually
a teenager or young adult who is a performer (or enthusiast) of punk rock and a member of the punk youth subculture
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: punk rocker
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: adolescent, stripling, teenager, teen
38
noun
Meaning 38
material for starting a fire
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: kindling, tinder, touchwood, spunk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: igniter, ignitor, lighter
39
noun
Meaning 39
substance that smolders when ignited; used to light fuses (especially fireworks)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: igniter, ignitor, lighter
History
Etymology
Uncertain. Possibly from punk (“rotten wood dust used as tinder”), attested since 1678, to anything worthless (attested since 1869) and then to any undesirable person (since 1908). The relatively tame 21st century usage of punk (“prank”, verb) was popularized by the American television show Punk'd (2003).
Unclear; first attested circa 1680 in writings about Native American practices, probably from Unami punkw (“dust”), though it has also been suggested it could be an alteration of spunk (“tinder”) (compare funk (“rotten wood”)).
Across languages
Translations
83 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Portuguese:
putinha
— receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom
Russian:
петух
(petux)
— receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom
Russian:
опущенный
(opuščennyj)
— receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom
Dutch:
nietsnut
— worthless person
Finnish:
retku
— worthless person
Finnish:
ketku
— worthless person
French:
morpion
— worthless person
French:
petit con
— worthless person
Italian:
impiastro
— worthless person
Polish:
śmieć
— worthless person
Portuguese:
imprestável
— worthless person
Russian:
ничтожество
(ničtožestvo)
— worthless person
Czech:
mladistvý delikvent
— petty criminal
Czech:
grázl
— petty criminal
Czech:
syčák
— petty criminal
Finnish:
pikkurikollinen
— petty criminal
Finnish:
juippi
— petty criminal
French:
vaurien
— petty criminal
French:
racaille
— petty criminal
Italian:
teppista
— petty criminal
Italian:
teppistello
— petty criminal
Portuguese:
bandidinho
— petty criminal
Portuguese:
delinquente
— petty criminal
Arabic:
بَانْك
(bank)
— short form of punk rock
Chinese Mandarin:
朋克
(péngkè)
— short form of punk rock
Czech:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Dutch:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Esperanto:
punko
— short form of punk rock
Finnish:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Finnish:
punkrock
— short form of punk rock
French:
punk
— short form of punk rock
German:
Punk
— short form of punk rock
Hebrew:
פאנק
— short form of punk rock
Hindi:
पंक
(paṅk)
— short form of punk rock
Icelandic:
pönk
— short form of punk rock
Japanese:
パンク
(panku)
— short form of punk rock
Kazakh:
панк
(pank)
— short form of punk rock
Korean:
펑크
(peongkeu)
— short form of punk rock
Marathi:
पंक
(paṅka)
— short form of punk rock
Norwegian Bokmål:
pønk
— short form of punk rock
Norwegian Bokmål:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Norwegian Nynorsk:
pønk
— short form of punk rock
Norwegian Nynorsk:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Portuguese:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Russian:
панк
(pank)
— short form of punk rock
Serbo-Croatian:
pank
— short form of punk rock
Swedish:
punk
— short form of punk rock
Chinese Mandarin:
朋克搖滾樂師 /朋克摇滚乐师
(péngkè yáogǔnyuèshī)
— punk rocker
Chinese Mandarin:
朋客搖滾樂手 /朋客摇滚乐手
(péngkè yáogǔnyuèshǒu)
— punk rocker
Czech:
pankáč
— punk rocker
Czech:
punker
— punk rocker
Dutch:
punk
— punk rocker
Finnish:
punkkari
— punk rocker
French:
punk
— punk rocker
French:
keupon
— punk rocker
French:
keupone
— punk rocker
Georgian:
პანკი
(ṗanḳi)
— punk rocker
Georgian:
პანკ-როკერი
(ṗanḳ-roḳeri)
— punk rocker
German:
Punker
— punk rocker
Icelandic:
pönkari
— punk rocker
Marathi:
पंक
(paṅka)
— punk rocker
Norwegian Bokmål:
punker
— punk rocker
Norwegian Bokmål:
pønker
— punk rocker
Norwegian Nynorsk:
punker
— punk rocker
Norwegian Nynorsk:
pønkar
— punk rocker
Portuguese:
punk
— punk rocker
Russian:
панк
(pank)
— punk rocker
Spanish:
punk
— punk rocker
Swedish:
punkare
— punk rocker
Arabic:
بَانْك
(bank)
— punk social movement
Arabic:
بَانْك
(pank)
— punk social movement
Chinese Mandarin:
朋克
(péngkè)
— punk social movement
