juke
1 Americanverb (used with object)
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of juke1
Spelling variant of jouk
Origin of juke2
By shortening
Explanation
Use the word juke when you talk about a little roadside bar where you can dance to jukebox music or a live band. Another word for a juke is a "roadhouse." If you visit a rowdy rural bar with dancing and beer, you can call it a juke. Many country and blues bands got their start playing at jukes in the south, although some jukes offer jukeboxes as their only music. You can also call it a "juke joint." The word juke comes from the Southern United States Creole known as Gullah — in which juke or joog means "wicked" or "disorderly."
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.
See Examples For:
Sadly, his background vocal is mixed low and seems like an afterthought, but it’s an affecting song nonetheless, conjuring images of truck stops and roadside juke joints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Walking through the exhibition, specially-programmed headsets react to the environment - creating a personalised DJ Mix as the music evolves from juke joints and jazz clubs to reggae nights, carnival and pirate radio.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
Delroy Lindo recently earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in “Sinners” as Delta Slim, a blues musician who helps fight a vampire horde in a Mississippi juke joint.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
The “Sinners” star won the Actor Award for lead actor for portraying the film’s twin ex-mob enforcers turned juke joint owners, Smoke and Stack.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026
“They had more fighting in a juke joint outside of Fort Eustis than I seen all the time I been over here.”
From "Fallen Angels" by Walter Dean Myers
In it, chugging on instinct and not playbook, Moss juked one defender and spun through another one before landing in the end zone on his head.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2024
O.J. did as O.J. was famous for doing, and juked.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
In his best play of the season, Hemby evaded one defender, then juked another as he took the ball 61 yards to the 2.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 30, 2023
Toney caught Arryn Siposs’ line-drive punt at the Chiefs’ 30-yard, started to the left, then juked his way out of a tackle before reversing course.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 12, 2023
He juked and jived and spun and danced and darted, and he left them squeezing handfuls of air.
From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli
Stroud, juking a defender to buy time before throwing across the field to tight end Evan Engram in the left corner of the end zone.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 4, 2024
The result is something like shuffling, juking bas-reliefs or ghosts.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
Irving skittered across the lane juking defenders on his way to 24 points, six rebounds and five assists.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 12, 2022
During one early third down, Williams flung a charging defender over his shoulder, before nearly juking another out of his shoes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2022
We joked a little more, I thought like regular American men, faking, dipping, juking.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
