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Synonyms

junk

1 American  
[juhngk] / dʒʌŋk /

noun

  1. any old or discarded material, as metal, paper, or rags.

    Synonyms:
    refuse, debris, litter, rubbish

  2. anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible; trash.

    Synonyms:
    refuse, debris, litter, rubbish

  3. old cable or cordage used when untwisted for making gaskets, swabs, oakum, etc.

  4. Nautical Slang. salt junk.

  5. Baseball Slang. relatively slow, unorthodox pitches that are deceptive to the batter in movement or pace, as knuckleballs or forkballs.

verb (used with object)

  1. to cast aside as junk; discard as no longer of use; scrap.

adjective

  1. cheap, worthless, unwanted, or trashy.

junk 2 American  
[juhngk] / dʒʌŋk /

noun

  1. a seagoing ship with a traditional Chinese design and used primarily in Chinese waters, having square sails spread by battens, a high stern, and usually a flat bottom.

junk 3 American  
[juhngk] / dʒʌŋk /

noun

Slang.

  1. narcotics, especially heroin.

  2. the external genitals.

    I kicked him in the junk.
junk 1 British  
/ dʒʌŋk /

noun

  1. discarded or secondhand objects, etc, collectively

  2. informal

    1. rubbish generally

    2. nonsense

      the play was absolute junk

  3. slang any narcotic drug, esp heroin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. informal (tr) to discard as junk; scrap

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
junk 2 British  
/ dʒʌŋk /

noun

  1. a sailing vessel used in Chinese waters and characterized by a very high poop, flat bottom, and square sails supported by battens

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of junk1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English jonk, junk “(in sailing) old rope or cable”; further origin uncertain

Origin of junk2

First recorded in 1545–55; from Portuguese junco, from Malay jong “large boat, ship,” possibly from dialectal Chinese (Xiamen) chûn; compare Guangdong (Cantonese) dialect syùhn, (Mandarin) Chinese chuán

Origin of junk3

First recorded in 1920–25; perhaps special use of junk 1

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.

Moreover, the quality portfolio beat the junk one with 40% less volatility, or risk.

From MarketWatch

Her young daughter loves being in the shop too, watching her mom transform cars from junk into treasure.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2024, California considered doing away with service charges as part of legislation banning “hidden” or “junk” fees but walked back the proposal at the eleventh hour.

From Los Angeles Times

A long-running, publicly available database from AQR Capital Management, “Quality Minus Junk,” shows that its particular formula of buying quality and selling junk stocks struggled mightily following last spring’s bounce.

From The Wall Street Journal

Curled up on a vintage sofa they found at a Long Island junk store and refurbished, the couple likes to reminisce about their favorite finds from their 22 years together.

From Los Angeles Times

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.