punky

¹ American  

[puhng-kee] / ˈpʌŋ ki /

adjective

punkier, punkiest

1. of, like, or pertaining to spongy punk.

2. burning very slowly, as a fire.

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punky ² American  

[puhng-kee] / ˈpʌŋ ki /

adjective

punkier, punkiest

1. Slang. of or like punks or hoodlums.

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of punk rock, its performers, or its devotees.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• punkiness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of punky¹

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; punk ² + -y ¹

Origin of punky²

punk ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

One of the genre's most revered drummers, he played on tracks such as Bob Marley's Punky Reggae Party and Dave and Ansell Collins' classic, Double Barrel.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

Jim McMahon helped the 1985 team shuffle to Chicago’s lone Super Bowl championship before injuries took their toll on The Punky QB.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2024

Berg makes that backstory explicit with “Memory: Punky and Sissy,” which depicts the outline of a man whose body is filled with actual black-and-white snapshots.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2023

Where Midge differs from other antic-causing heroines like Lorelai Gilmore, Michelle Simms and yes, Punky Brewster, is that she doesn't appear to be remorseful.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2022

She saw Punky Perkins, next to her in church, drop two buttons in the plate in lieu of the two pennies his mother had given him.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith