Synonyms

punk rock

American

noun

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.

punk rock British

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

punk rocker

noun

Etymology

Origin of punk rock

First recorded in 1970–75

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.

It was while living in Cape Town he formed the punk rock band Riot Squad SA.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

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

But the New York Dolls still aren’t, and there’s a lot of other punk rock groups that haven’t been thought about at all.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

“In my teens I was all punk rock, and in my twenties it was Madonna and whoever. Where are you in college?”

From "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockhart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023