punk

19 synonyms and 1 antonym for punk, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A loud, rebellious style of rock music, or the subculture built around it, marked by aggressive guitars and anti-establishment attitude.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

cheap

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

worthless hood tinder thug bum cheesy

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

hoodlum ruffian hooligan delinquent goon touchwood kindling spunk sleazy tinny chintzy crummy

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun

A loud, rebellious style of rock music, or the subculture built around it, marked by aggressive guitars and anti-establishment attitude.

“My uncle still wears his leather jacket from his punk days.”

hoodlum ruffian hooligan delinquent worthless goon touchwood kindling hood tinder thug spunk

2. adj

Worthless, low quality, or thuggish and disreputable.

“He was dismissed as a punk kid with no future.”

sleazy cheap tinny chintzy bum cheesy crummy

Opposites

valuable

How to use punk

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

punk rock punk band little punk

Etymology

Originally referred to rotten wood used as tinder; the sense broadened to mean anything worthless, then to disreputable people, before being adopted as the name for the 1970s music movement.

Full origin of punk →

Frequently asked questions

What does “punk” mean?

The word “punk” means a loud, rebellious style of rock music, or the subculture built around it, marked by aggressive guitars and anti-establishment attitude. In plain terms, the rebellious rock genre and subculture, or (as an insult) a worthless troublemaker.

How do you pronounce “punk”?

“Punk” is pronounced PUHNGK (/ˈpʌŋk/ in IPA).

How do you use “punk” in a sentence?

Here is “punk” used in a sentence: “The band played fast, three-chord punk.”

What part of speech is “punk”?

Depending on how it is used, “punk” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “punk” come from?

The word “punk” dates back to around 1970. Originally referred to rotten wood used as tinder; the sense broadened to mean anything worthless, then to disreputable people, before being adopted as the name for the 1970s music movement.

Is “punk” a common word?

“Punk” is a fairly common word in modern English.

How many meanings does “punk” have?

“Punk” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a loud, rebellious style of rock music, or the subculture built around it, marked by aggressive guitars and anti-establishment attitude.

What is the difference between "punk" and "rock"?

"Punk" is a specific style of rock music and its subculture, marked by fast, aggressive guitars and an anti-establishment attitude. "Rock" is the broader category that includes many styles, so punk is a type of rock rather than a separate genre altogether.

What is "punk rock"?

"Punk rock" is the full name for the loud, rebellious music style that "punk" refers to, characterised by short, fast songs, aggressive guitars, and an anti-establishment message. The word "punk" is often used on its own as a shorthand for both the music and the subculture around it.

People also searched

cheap valuable hood worthless bum cheesy thug tinder goon delinquent touchwood kindling

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of punk