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

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Relevance

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

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

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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

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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
English post-punk band is anchored by lead vocalist John Lydon. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The Clash’s original line-up soldiered on until 1982, by which time punk rock had mutated into post-punk and new wave. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
Theron, who has been working with amFAR for decades and accepted the Award of Inspiration at the gala, looked equal parts pretty and punk on the red carpet. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 26 Oct. 2026 Uppity takes inspiration from Bikini Kill, the feminist rock band who spearheaded the riot grrrl movement, a network of punk rockers challenging misogyny through music, zines and workshops in the 1990s Pacific north-west scene. — Literary Hub, 26 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
  • These efforts should be lauded because lawyering solely to please Trump without an iota of reasonableness according to prescribed rules of law to which all lawyers must adhered is simply unacceptable.
    — Miles J. Zaremski, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
  • But critics, like the Civic Federation, are denouncing the budget plan, calling it an unacceptable abdication of responsibility to meet the fiscal realities facing the city.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unacceptable
Adjective
  • His teams are terrible just before halftime, having been outscored 107-6 in the coach's 24 games.
    — Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • If the purpose of buying a suit were merely obtaining clothing, three fittings would be terrible service.
    — Anna van Praagh, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrible
Adjective
  • Grape expectations In 2020, macaques in an enclosure at the sanctuary started getting sick with an HIV-like virus called SRV.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Or calling in sick from work even when the doctor cleared you to return in the new year.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sick
Noun
  • To capture some of that essence, Guitar Center is trying to make its stores a place to hang out for novices and pros alike.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
  • In the latest, The Big Cats Dance Party, a high-profile case falls to a novice sleuth while the agency’s founder is away.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 5 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
  • What makes a successful scooper Professional scoopers typically use basic tools like a rake, a dustpan lined with a garbage bag and a garden sprayer to sanitize tools in between jobs.
    — Kamaron McNair, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Pan Yan The substance is integrated into a transparent, medium-sized insert designed to fit onto a garbage bin lid.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of garbage
Adjective
  • Without it, the language model is a very expensive way to write faster emails to the wrong people.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Those chats tended to include what was going right or wrong or could be better.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of wrong
Adjective
  • In most versions of the Greek mythology, Medusa is a beautiful woman that was cursed by the goddess Athena with a head of snakes instead of hair and the horrible ability to turn people to stone with just one look.
    — Lynsey Eidell, Glamour, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The battle is between that horrible atmosphere and some of the horrific candidates that have been nominated by the Democratic Party.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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