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
The newbie nominee won the trophy out of the gate for his portrayal of twins Smoke and Stack in Ryan Coogler’s juke joint-and-vampires movie “Sinners.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 16, 2026
Jack O’Connell, Lola Kirke and Peter Dreimanis — the actors who terrorized the juke joint as bloodthirsty vampires in the movie — also snaked their way onto the stage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 15, 2026
There go the grumbles around the juke joint.
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
O.J. did as O.J. was famous for doing, and juked.
From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2024
He danced and juked, dodged and eluded tacklers, using his instincts to find open space that allowed him to use his speed to outrace the defense into the end zone.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 11, 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
Nacua made one last adroit cut to his left, juked past a security guard, joined his teammates and accepted the ball seconds before his absence would have been awkward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2023
“Fellas,” TimeStar began, then he juked left, grabbing his device from Petey and bolting for the door.
From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles
And so the manager wasn’t joking; he wasn’t juking.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
The result is something like shuffling, juking bas-reliefs or ghosts.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2024
When Kenneth Walker III wasn’t juking and dancing his way past defenders for 97 yards on 18 carries, Zach Charbonnet was running over them for 46 yards on nine carries.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2023
Boyd scored on a power play in the second period, juking his way around Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers and slipping a shot between Demko’s pads.
From Washington Times ● Mar. 17, 2023
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.
