honky-tonk
Americannoun
adjective
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Also honky-tonky of, relating to, or characteristic of a honky-tonk.
a honky-tonk atmosphere.
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characterized by or having a large number of honky-tonks.
the honky-tonk part of town.
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Music. noting a style of ragtime piano-playing characterized by a strict two-four or four-four bass, either contrapuntal or chordal, and a melody embellished with chords and syncopated rhythms, typically performed on a piano whose strings have been muffled and given a tinny sound.
verb (used without object)
noun
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slang
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a cheap disreputable nightclub, bar, etc
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( as modifier )
a honky-tonk district
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a style of ragtime piano-playing, esp on a tinny-sounding piano
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a type of country music, usually performed by a small band with electric and steel guitars
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( as modifier )
honky-tonk music
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of honky-tonk
1890–95, rhyming compound based on honk
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While Tina Turner didn’t draw many honky-tonk regulars into her fold with this big swing, the album has since won renewed appreciation for Turner’s way of returning country to its Black musical roots.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
I return to Monte Carlo for two reasons: the honky-tonk atmosphere and the green chile cheeseburger.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
Her band, CC and the Boys, has also played at Lucinda’s and nearly every other honky-tonk in town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
This year, the venture expanded with a new location five times the size of the original in the heart of American honky-tonk: Nashville.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025
The jukebox rattled out one honky-tonk tune after another.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
