junk 1 of 2

noun

ˈjəŋk How to pronounce junk (audio)
Definition of junknext
1
as in cheese
that which is of low quality or worth couldn't believe that such junk was chosen to be read for the book club my car is junk—it spends more time in the shop than on the road

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in garbage
discarded or useless material junk on the side of the road waiting for the trash collection

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

junk

2 of 2

verb

as in to dump
to get rid of as useless or unwanted we'll have to junk this old car

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word junk different from other verbs like it?

Some common synonyms of junk are cast, discard, scrap, shed, and slough. While all these words mean "to get rid of," scrap and junk imply throwing away or breaking up as worthless in existent form.

scrap all the old ways
would junk our educational system

When is it sensible to use cast instead of junk?

The meanings of cast and junk largely overlap; however, cast, especially when used with off, away, or out, implies a forceful rejection or repudiation.

cast off her friends

Where would discard be a reasonable alternative to junk?

Although the words discard and junk have much in common, discard implies the letting go or throwing away of something that has become useless or superfluous though often not intrinsically valueless.

discard old clothes

How do shed and slough relate to one another, in the sense of junk?

Shed and slough imply a throwing off of something both useless and encumbering and often suggest a consequent renewal of vitality or luster.

shed a bad habit
finally sloughed off the depression

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of junk
Noun
Nonalcoholic drinks have come a long way since the overly sweet and falsely flavored junk that dominated the market until recently. —Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 2 July 2025 As space junk increases, more operators are choosing to launch without any insurance at all. —Tom Brown, Space.com, 28 June 2025
Verb
That would be a drastic shift, but Trump has shown a willingness to junk political orthodoxy, as this week’s decision to lift sanctions on Syria and meet Ahmed el-Sharaa showed. —J. Tedford Tyler, Time, 17 May 2025 The local hockey team made every move this season to win a Stanley Cup, from junking its goalies to shipping out a star to overhauling the entire middle of the ice. —Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for junk
Recent Examples of Synonyms for junk
  1. cheese
  2. garbage
  3. dump
  4. rubbish
  5. debris
  6. discard
  7. trash
  8. dust
Noun
  • The spot is famous for its breakfast pizza, which has scrambled eggs, cheese and a choice of cheese sauce or sausage gravy on top.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2025
  • And just like the cheese straw, cheese dreams have endless variations.
    — Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 19 July 2025
Definition of cheese
Noun
  • The Bureau of Rodent Control has been increasing collaboration with the Bureau of Sanitation to replace faulty garbage carts, which rats can exploit to obtain more food.
    — William Tong, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2025
  • Another item that is often forgotten is garbage bags for collecting waste along the way, especially when passing through remote areas without public bins.
    — Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 12 July 2025
Definition of garbage
Verb
  • Just weeks after the Thomas Fire tore through the hills above Montecito, an intense winter storm dumped several inches of rain in January 2018.
    — Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 24 July 2025
  • Company insiders, also including the finance chief, have dumped $16.6 million in shares over the past 30 days.
    — Alex Harring,Nick Wells, CNBC, 21 July 2025
Definition of dump
Noun
  • North Korea has responded to previous balloon campaigns with fiery rhetoric and other shows of anger, and last year the country launched its own balloons across the border, dumping rubbish on various South Korean sites, including the presidential compound.
    — Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025
  • They were were found beneath a pile of rubbish heaped just inside her front door, according to a police report released Wednesday.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
Definition of rubbish
Noun
  • This could include dead plants, piles of leaves, stones, or other debris.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 21 July 2025
  • The debris collides with Earth's atmosphere at high speed and disintegrates, creating fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.
    — Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 21 July 2025
Definition of debris
Verb
  • Mold: Any signs of mold mean the dressing should be discarded.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 26 July 2025
  • Customers with peanut allergies are advised to not eat the products and to discard them.
    — Alia Shoaib, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Definition of discard
Noun
  • According to the probable cause affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE in January 2023, authorities identified him after matching DNA on trash taken from Bryan's parents' home to that of the sheath of the knife used in the stabbings that was left at the crime scene.
    — Jordana Comiter, People.com, 24 July 2025
  • An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military vehicles, as smoke rises from a fire in a trash burn pit at Forward Operating Base Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan,...
    — Sophie Clark, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025
Definition of trash
Noun
  • That’s because adult birds need water for drinking and bathing (though some birds do take dust baths!).
    — Arricca Elin SanSone, Southern Living, 15 July 2025
  • Here, modernist cocktails made with hickory bark cordial, vermouth caramel, and tomato dust come served in glass ice cream cones or ceramic faces or topped with edible ink.
    — AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 14 July 2025
Definition of dust

Browse Nearby Words

juniors
junk
junked
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Cite this Entry

“Junk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/junk. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on junk

Nglish: Translation of junk for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about junk

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