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).
Babbitt boomed on: "Pretty punk service the Company giving us on these car-lines. Nonsense to only run the Portland Road cars once every seven minutes. Fellow gets mighty cold on a winter morning, waiting on a street corner with the wind nipping at his ankles." 1922, Sinclair Lewis, “3”, in Babbitt, page 30:
... Donald Trump is also a coward. For all of his tough talk and bluster, the president of the United States is a punk ass bitch. 2018, Damon Jones, “Just Remember That Your Punk-Ass President Would Never, Ever, Ever Call LeBron James Dumb to His Face”, in The Root, archived from the original on 04 Aug 2018:
With the subtleties of dressing ran other complex worries. "I feel kind of punk this morning," he said. "I think I had too much dinner last evening. You oughtn't to serve those heavy banana fritters." 1922, Sinclair Lewis, “1”, in Babbitt, page 10:
Of or concerning punk rock or its associated subculture.
You look very punk with your t-shirt, piercing, and chains.
BrewDog, the craft beer company that prides itself on a “punk” ethos, has been accused of acting like “just another multinational corporate machine” after forcing a family-run pub to change its name or face legal action. 2017 March 26, Rob Davies, “BrewDog accused of hypocrisy after forcing pub to change name”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
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).
Meanings
(archaic, countable, uncountable) One who engages in sexual intercourse ▸ A female prostitute.
Flip [Lady Flippant]. I love, of my life men ſhould deal freely vvith me; there are ſo fevv men vvill deal freely with one— / Sir Sim[on Addlepot]. Are you not a Fireſhip? a Punk, Madam? / Flip. VVell, Sir, I love Raillery. / Sir Sim. Faith and troth I do not railly, I deal freely. 1671 March (first performance), [William] Wycherley, Love in a Wood, or, St James’s Park. A Comedy, […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for H[enry] Herringman, […], published 1672, →OCLC, Act II, page 22:
However, terrible as it may seem to the tall maiden sisters of J.P.'s in Queen Anne houses with walled vegetable gardens, this courtesan, strumpet, harlot, whore, punk, fille de joie, street-walker, this trollop, this trull, this baggage, this hussy, this drab, skit, rig, quean, mopsy, demirep, demimondaine, this wanton, this fornicatress, this doxy, this concubine, this frail sister, this poor Queenie—did actually solicit me, did actually say 'coming home to-night, dearie' and my soul was not blasted enough to call a policeman. 1936, Anthony Bertram, Like the Phoenix:
[…] And made them fight, like mad or drunk, / For Dame Religion, as for punk... 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:
My lord, she may be a punk; for many of them are neither maid, widow, nor wife. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
(countable, obsolete, uncountable) 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.
The Beaus...
At night make a Punk of him that's first drunk. 1698, Womens Complaint to Venus:
(US, countable, uncountable) One who engages in sexual intercourse ▸ A passive or effeminate homosexual man.
(US, countable, slang, uncountable) One who engages in sexual intercourse ▸ A boy who accompanies a hobo, especially as used for sex.
They'd pick up youngsters as, well—as their playthings. These kids were called punks. 1973, Barry Broadfoot, Ten Lost Years, 1929-1939: Memories of Canadians who survived the Depression, page 137:
(US, countable, derogatory, qualifier:chiefly African-American Vernacular, uncountable) One who engages in sexual intercourse ▸ A male homosexual.
(US, countable, slang, uncountable) One who engages in sexual intercourse ▸ A man forced or coerced into a homosexual relationship, especially in prison.
A punk, if you want it in plain English, is a boy with smooth skin who takes the place of a woman in a jailbird's love life. 1946, Milton “Mezz” Mezzrow, Bernard Wolfe, “Don’t Cry, Ma”, in Really the Blues, New York, N.Y.: Random House, book 1 (1899–1923: A Nothin’ but a Child), page 15:
Because he was so weak, Vinny soon became Tony's punk.
If he is small and weak, he may decide to become a ‘punk’ and allow himself to be raped by the inmate most likely to protect him. 2001, Joseph T. Hallinan, Going Up the River: Travels in a Prison Nation, page 106:
(US, countable, slang) A worthless person, particularly
This fellow was just a punk... a nobody. 1933, Ernest Hemingway, Winner Take Nothing, page 94:
(US, countable, humorous, rare, slang, uncountable) A worthless person ▸ Any person, especially a male comrade.
(US, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable) A worthless person ▸ A petty criminal, especially a juvenile delinquent.
There was nothing so special about the gang, punks are punks. 1963, Thomas Pynchon, :w:V., page 145:
He said the prisoner called them ‘punk’... He admitted that he shouted ‘punk’ to them. 1908 October 18, New York Times, page 9:
I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I've kinda lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk? 1971, Harry Julian Fink et al., Dirty Harry, spoken by Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood):
(US, countable, derogatory, slang, uncountable) A worthless person ▸ A weak, timid person.
Taking him home she hemmed him up soon as they stepped in the door. Now Tony was a bad dude in the streets but when it came to his mama, he was a punk. A few cuss words on her part had him spilling everything. 2006, Kali James, Can U Get Away?, page 17:
Do you think a little thing like a scratch would bother me? I'm no punk. 1950, Hal Ellson, Tomboy, page 12:
(US, countable, slang, uncountable) A worthless person ▸ Synonym of amateur.
(US, countable, slang, uncountable) A worthless person ▸ A young, untrained animal or worker.
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s: ▸ Ellipsis of punk rock, a genre known for short, loud, energetic songs with electric guitars and strong drums and shocking or political lyrics.
Who else... would have the nerve to actually begin a song with the line ‘Whatchew gonna do, mama, now that the roast beef's gone...?’ Man, that is true punk; that is so fucked up it's got class up the ass. 1972 November, L. Bangs, Creem, page 68:
(countable, uncountable) 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.
Thus, punk girls combined elements of female dress (bodysuits, skirts) with punk accessories (bullet belt, emocore shirt) to create a distinctly female punk look that's "as girly" as they get. 1999, Lauraine Leblanc, Pretty in Punk: Girls' Gender Resistance in a Boys' Subculture, Rutgers University Press, →ISBN, page 157:
Dame Vivienne Westwood is a British fashion designer and businesswoman. Largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new-wave fashions into the mainstream, she epitomises haute couture of the modern era. 2014 July 15, Ann Brooks, Popular Culture: Global Intercultural Perspectives, Bloomsbury Publishing, →ISBN, page 61:
(countable, uncountable) 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.
Despite this, Podemos's beginnings are still illuminating to understand punk's scope of influence adequately. 2025 December 9, David Vila Diéguez, Spanish Punk: Screaming for Democracy in a Postdictatorial State, PM Press, →ISBN, page 191:
This emphasis on politics in the personal sphere might be a difference between punk now and punk fifteen years ago. 2001 January 1, Andy Furlong, Irena Guidikova, Council of Europe. Directorate of Youth and Sport, Transitions of Youth Citizenship in Europe: Culture, Subculture and Identity, Council of Europe, →ISBN, page 72:
(countable, in-compounds, uncountable, usually) 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.
Some of these genres produce unique and intriguing subculture groups, usually referred to as types of "punks": cyberpunk, teslapunk, atompunk, biopunk, etc. 2022 June 15, ENC1101 Editorial Board, Composition and Grammar: For HCC by HCC, Accomplishing Innovative Press, →ISBN:
Punk stories look at the current dominant socioeconomic paradigm and don't like what they see. They look at the newest gadget or algorithm and see how it can be misused and abused. 2022 February 3, Rick Dakan, Ryan G. Van Cleave, Writing Sci-Fi, Fantasy, & Horror For Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, page 196:
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) A follower of any of these movements, including: ▸ Ellipsis of punk rocker; a musician known for playing punk rock or a fan of the genre.
But I still felt a fraud. I was like all those people who suddenly shaved their heads and said they'd always been punks, they'd been punks before punk was even thought of […] 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 22:
My girlfriend is a punk and she plays the drums.
(countable, uncountable) A follower of any of these movements, including: ▸ A person who designs or dresses in punk fashion style.
(countable, uncountable) A follower of any of these movements, including: ▸ A member of the punk social movement; usually anarchist and socially non-conformist although potentially either left-wing or right-wing.
In the daily praxis of punk, vegetarianism and veganism are strategies through which many punks combat corporate capitalism, patriarchy, and environmental collapse. 2013, Carole Counihan, Penny Van Esterik, Food and Culture: A Reader, Routledge, →ISBN, page 236:
(countable, in-compounds, uncountable, usually) A follower of any of these movements, including: ▸ A fan of a -punk genre of fiction, or a person who dresses in a style associated with it.
fr racaille (petty criminal) · mr पंक (punk social movement) · ru петух (receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom) · nn punk (short form of punk rock) · fr vaurien (petty criminal) · nb pønk (short form of punk rock) · es punk (punk rocker) · ru ничтожество (worthless person) · cs pankáč (punk rocker) · ar بَانْك (short form of punk rock) · ja パンク (short form of punk rock) · de Punk (short form of punk rock) · ar بَانْك (punk social movement) · fi punkkari (punk rocker) · de Punk (punk social movement) · fi punkrock (short form of punk rock) · sv punk (short form of punk rock) · pt delinquente (petty criminal) · fr keupon (punk rocker) · fi ketku (worthless person) · nn punker (punk rocker) · pt punk (punk social movement) · fi punk (punk social movement) · pt bandidinho (petty criminal) · cmn 朋克 (punk social movement) · pt imprestável (worthless person) · ko 펑크 (short form of punk rock) · sv punkare (punk rocker) · fr morpion (worthless person) · fi pikkurikollinen (petty criminal) · cs syčák (petty criminal) · fi punk (short form of punk rock) · nl nietsnut (worthless person) · mr पंक (punk rocker) · cs grázl (petty criminal) · ka პანკი (punk rocker) · pt punk (short form of punk rock) · fi retku (worthless person) · ja パンク (punk social movement) · fi punk-liike (punk social movement) · ar بَانْك (punk social movement) · is pönk (short form of punk rock) · kk панк (short form of punk rock) · nl punk (punk rocker) · cs hnutí punk (punk social movement) · hi पंक (short form of punk rock) · nb pønker (punk rocker) · fr punk (punk social movement) · ru панк (punk social movement) · pt putinha (receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom) · it impiastro (worthless person) · ru опущенный (receiving partner in a male-male sexual relationship — see also bottom) · cs punk (punk social movement) · is pönkari (punk rocker) · cs punker (punk rocker) · nb punk (short form of punk rock) · it teppista (petty criminal) · ka პანკ-როკერი (punk rocker) · pl śmieć (worthless person) · de Punker (punk rocker) · cs punk (short form of punk rock) · it teppistello (petty criminal) · cs mladistvý delikvent (petty criminal) · pt punk (punk rocker) · fr keupone (punk rocker) · nn pønk (short form of punk rock) · cmn 朋克 (short form of punk rock) · nn pønkar (punk rocker) · fr petit con (worthless person) · gl punk (punk social movement) · fr punk (punk rocker) · mr पंक (short form of punk rock) · fr punk (short form of punk rock) · ru панк (punk rocker) · nl punk (short form of punk rock) · cmn 朋克搖滾樂師 /朋克摇滚乐师 (punk rocker) · nb punker (punk rocker) · ru панк (short form of punk rock) · cmn 朋客搖滾樂手 /朋客摇滚乐手 (punk rocker) · fi juippi (petty criminal) · eo punko (short form of punk rock) · sh pank (short form of punk rock) · he פאנק (short form of punk rock)
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).
Meanings
(slang) To pimp.
(slang, transitive) To forcibly perform anal sex upon (an unwilling partner).
"Hell, Haggerty, with that caved-in chest you got, and with your guts pickled in alcohol, and a leg and a half in the grave, the Navy wouldn't even take you for punkin', Barney sourly said. 1934, James T. Farrell, chapter 19, in The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan:
Ricky punked his new cell-mates.
If you start to stare at men's asses, to try & punk them in their moments with God; you are an enemy of God! Anyone looking upon a man as though a woman is in danger of judgement! -<>< 2022 April 30, @GisUsIsReal, Twitter:
(slang, transitive) To prank.
I got expelled when I punked the principal.
“We were laughing because it was like, ‘Do you think we’re being punked?’” said Leigh Wade, an OB-GYN who was there with her husband, Richard Iuorio, an emergency room doctor who’d waited for a reservation since February. 2023 September 25, Becky Hughes, quoting Leigh Wade, “New York’s Hottest Steakhouse Was a Fake, Until Saturday Night”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
(especially, with "out") To give up or concede; to act like a wimp.
Jimmy was going to help me with the prank, but he punked (out) at the last minute.
(often, transitive, with "out" or "up") To adapt or embellish in the style of the punk movement.
Their raucous take on the beloved, iconic Israeli folk song allegedly drew the ire of the songwriter, Naomi Shemer, and inspired Yidcore to punk up Jewish culture in myriad ways over the course of the next decade. 2016, Michael Croland, Oy Oy Oy Gevalt! Jews and Punk: Jews and Punk, →ISBN, page 59:
Suzy, a pump young woman with sparkling brown eyes and punked hair tucked behind her ears, said blankly, "What?" 1992, Dana Stabenow, A Cold Day for Murder, →ISBN, page 60:
Like the Apartments, the supports hadn't written many songs of their own. They ran on that old standby, “fun,” in the form of “punked up” versions of pop songs like “It's my Party,” alongside obscure new wave/punk covers such as Lene Lovich's “Cuckoo Clock.” 2011, David Nichols, The Go-Betweens, →ISBN, page 60:
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”)).
Meanings
(uncountable) Any material used as tinder for lighting fires, such as agaric, dried wood, or touchwood, but especially wood altered by certain fungi.
If they attack a house that is pretty well manned, they [Indians in Pennsylvania] creep behind some fence, or hedge, or tree, and shoot red-hot iron slugs, or punk, into the roof, and fire the house […] 1756, John Bartram, edited by William Darlington, Memorials of John Bartram and Humphry Marshall, published 1849:
On one occasion a venerable old Indian man, who, in order to light his pipe, was trying to catch a spark upon a piece of punk struck from his flint and steel; ... 1899, H. B. Cushman, History of the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Natchez Indians, page 271:
The oil is mixed with bits of dry wood or punk and moulded into sticks about a cubit long and an inch in diameter by putting it into joints of small bamboo. 1922, Harry Ignatius Marshall, The Karen People of Burma, page 61:
As the East-Indians use Moxa, so these burn with Punk, which is the inward Part of the Excrescence or Exuberance of an Oak. 1707, John Clayton (botanist), Virginia in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London XLI, page 149
He made him a little smoldering pocket of punk to light the fuses and waited. 2001, William W. Johnstone, War of the Mountain Man, page 116:
(countable) A utensil for lighting wicks or fuses (such as those of fireworks) resembling stick incense.
He raised the cylinder high in the air with his bare hand, used a punk to light the fuse, and KABOOM! 2004, Shawn Shiflett, Hidden Place, page 221:
Then, without another word, he rose and left the shelter, apparently in order to light the vessel's wick with a punk from the dying campfire. 1994, Ashland Price, Viking Tempest, page 353:
On the end a coal of fire slowly smouldered. It would last for hours, and my cell-mate called it a "punk." 1907, Jack London, The Road: