# punk

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈpʌŋk/ · frequency rank #5,159

## Definitions
1. One who engages in sexual intercourse
2. One who engages in sexual intercourse
3. One who engages in sexual intercourse
4. One who engages in sexual intercourse
5. One who engages in sexual intercourse
6. One who engages in sexual intercourse
7. A worthless person, particularly
8. A worthless person
9. A worthless person
10. A worthless person
11. A worthless person
12. A worthless person
13. A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
14. A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
15. A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
16. A group of associated musical, artistic and social movements emerging out of the counterculture in the 1970s:
17. A follower of any of these movements, including:
18. A follower of any of these movements, including:
19. A follower of any of these movements, including:
20. A follower of any of these movements, including:

## Etymology
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).

## Easily confused with
- **put** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-put)
- **pup** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-pup)
- **pus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-pus)
- **pur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-pur)
- **push** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-push)
- **pure** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-pure)
- **puts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-puts)
- **punt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-punt)
- **pups** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-pups)
- **putt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-putt)
- **puns** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-puns)
- **puss** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-puss)
- **puri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-puri)
- **puny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-puny)
- **purr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-purr)
- **punks** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-punks)
- **punts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/punk-vs-punts)
- **PU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pu-vs-punk)
- **PK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pk-vs-punk)
- **Pan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pan-vs-punk)

## Common misspellings (6)
`pnuk`, `ppunk`, `pukn`, `punkk`, `punnk`, `upnk`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/punk