# punk

/ˈpəŋk/ (US) · /pˈʌŋk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/punk
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. music and culture

noun · CEFR B2

a style of loud, fast rock music that started in the 1970s, often about politics or being against the rules.

For teachers: a subcultural movement and musical genre characterized by aggressive, fast-paced rock and anti-establishment ideologies.

- He loved the energy of early punk and started his own band in high school.
- The exhibition explores how punk influenced fashion and graphic design through its DIY aesthetic and rejection of mainstream commercialism.

### 2. a person

noun · CEFR B2

a person who follows punk music and often has a specific style, like dyed hair or leather jackets.

For teachers: an adherent of the punk subculture, typically distinguished by specific sartorial choices and a rebellious attitude.

- A group of punks was hanging out near the concert hall entrance.
- The documentary interviews several original punks who describe the London scene in the late seventies as a reaction to economic stagnation.

### 3. a troublemaker

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Informal

a young person who is rude, aggressive, or involved in small crimes.

For teachers: a pejorative term for a young hoodlum, petty criminal, or an inexperienced and insolent youth.

- The older man told the kids to stop acting like punks and go home.
- In many classic noir films, the protagonist has to deal with a street punk who thinks he is tougher than he actually is.

### 4. related to punk culture

adjective · CEFR B2

relating to punk music, fashion, or the punk way of thinking.

For teachers: pertaining to or characteristic of the punk rock subculture.

- She wore a punk jacket covered in metal studs and safety pins.
- The band's early sound was very punk, but they later transitioned into a more melodic alternative rock style.

### 5. to prank

verb · CEFR C1 · Slang · American English

to play a trick or a practical joke on someone.

For teachers: to trick or deceive someone, typically as a practical joke or for public humiliation.

- I can't believe you got punked by such a simple hidden camera trick.
- The television show became famous for the elaborate ways it would punk celebrities in their daily lives.

## Examples

- The old punk still wears his leather jacket every day.
- Some neighborhood punks were hanging around the park entrance, making the local shopkeepers feel nervous.
- While the movement began as a raw rejection of mainstream artifice, the aesthetic of the punk was eventually absorbed into the very fashion industry it once mocked.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.