junky

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒʌŋkiː/, [ˈd͡ʒʌŋkʰɪi̯]

  • Audio (General Australian):

    (file)

• Hyphenation: jun‧ky

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

English junk

Proto-Indo-European *-kos

Proto-Germanic *-gaz

Proto-West Germanic *-g

Old English -iġ

Middle English -y

English -y

English junky

From junk + -y (adjectival suffix).

Adjective

junky (comparative junkier, superlative junkiest)

1. Resembling or characteristic of junk; cheap, worthless, or of low quality.

   Synonyms: garbagey, junky, rubbishy, scummy; see also Thesaurus:worthless

   • 1970–1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed in Pleasure

     I took my jewelry box & made a bracelet for J from an old broken necklace & the clasp from a junky pink charm bracelet.

2. Full of junk.

   Synonyms: cluttered, trashy

   We really need to clear out the junky basement.

Derived terms

• janky
• junkily
• junkiness

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

English junk

Old English -iġ

Middle English -y

English -y

English junky

From junk + -y (“person associated”).

Noun

junky (plural junkies)

1. (slang, derogatory) Alternative spelling of junkie.

Further reading

• “junky”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.