punky
1 AmericanOther Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of punky1
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; punk 2 + -y 1
Origin of punky2
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:
On the opening song, “Luz de Luna,” he gushes about not wanting to miss someone over a heartfelt piano ballad that slips between punky guitar rifts and unpredictable 808 drums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 10, 2025
On stage, the singer is normally a fireball of intensity, screaming punky anthems like Yuk Foo and commanding the spotlight with magnetic charisma.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2025
Sobule’s self-titled album also spawned the punky “Supermodel,” which was featured on the soundtrack of that year’s hit “Clueless” movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2025
In April of the following year, she finally brought her songs to life onstage with her punky Sour Tour, which played theaters, though she could have easily sold out arenas.
From New York Times ● Feb. 26, 2024
He had made new fire, which he now kept going using partially rotten wood because the punky wood would smolder for many hours and still come back with fire.
From "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen
During the cruise, he sat in with multiple acts, from Cantrell to the punkier Waco Brothers.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2022
They preferred the punkier numbers, like “Even the Losers” and “Refugee,” to the Byrds-ier T.P.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 13, 2015
On the former, there's Nancy Whang, punkier and less polished than Ware, acting all cool and untouchable – as is her forte – before unexpectedly and gloriously blossoming into a loved-up chorus.
From The Guardian ● May 2, 2013
“I Was an Island” was the first song Ms. Weiss played Friday night in the compact back room of Public Assembly, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn — the angrier, punkier version, and it suited her well.
From New York Times ● Feb. 3, 2013
A punkier version of a song I’d heard before started to play over the coffee shop’s speakers.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
A charming mini-dress from 2000 by Miguel Adrover, known for redesigning salvaged garments, may be the punkiest postpunk garment in the whole show.
From New York Times ● May 9, 2013
Say, wasn't that the punkiest stunt that fellow in black was doin' on the platform?
From Polly of the Circus by Mayo, Margaret
"I can believe that," says I. For an auto it was the punkiest ever.
From Side-stepping with Shorty by Ford, Sewell
For a gallery play, it was the punkiest I ever put up.
From Shorty McCabe by Wilson, F. Vaux (Francis Vaux)
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.
