punk rock

American  

noun

1. a type of rock-'n'-roll, reaching its peak in the late 1970s and characterized by loud, insistent music and abusive or violent protest lyrics, and whose performers and followers are distinguished by extremes of dress and socially defiant behavior.

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punk rock British  

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: punk.  a fast abrasive style of rock music of the late 1970s, characterized by aggressive or offensive lyrics and performance

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• punk rocker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of punk rock

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The punk rock republican says he can be the "Kingmaker" as Plaid Cymru looks to lead the next Welsh government with Rhun ap Iorwerth as first minister.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

It is about punk rock and the inevitable commercialization of it.

From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026

He had a strong hand in the distinctive blend of funk, punk rock and jazz created by Joseph Bowie’s Defunkt, a mainstay of the downtown scene.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

For thousands of young fans, who swarmed the band’s outlaw concerts under blighted freeways during the pandemic, Dead City are a cathartic social phenomenon that’s reignited a riotous punk rock subculture in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

You started scowling and yelling and listening to punk rock music.

From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova