Skip to the word

Added 9 October 2026

punk

/ˈpʌŋk/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about punk at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An aggressive and violent young criminal.
Substance that smolders when ignited; used to light fuses (especially fireworks).
Material for starting a fire.

adjective

Of very poor quality; flimsy.

Origin

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).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

Back to today's word