junk

A2 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /d͡ʒɐŋk/ UK /d͡ʒʌŋk/ See IPA manual

noun verb Freq #3654

Meanings

1

noun
Old or useless things that you no longer want.

This shed is full of junk; will you help me sort it out?
2

noun
Things of poor quality or low value.

He eats nothing but junk food.
3

noun
Nonsense; meaningless talk or writing (informal).

The student wrote junk for answers just to finish quickly.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · old or useless things that... clutter garbage litter debris

More can jettison pitch shift

Word family

Forms junkedjunkingjunks

Derived forms antijunkchartjunkcyberjunkdejunkjunk-hookjunk-sickjunkaholicjunkballjunkboardjunkboxjunkerjunkhead

Related forms genitalia nonsense

Common collocations

junk food Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Portuguese junco with reinforcement from Dutch jonk, from Arabic جُنْك (junk), from Malay jong, جوڠ, from Javanese ꦗꦺꦴꦁ (jong), from Old Javanese joṅ (“seagoing ship”), probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₂luuŋ ~ *d₂luŋ ~ *d₂luəŋ ~ *d₂ləŋ (“boat”). Doublet of djong.

junco Portuguese jonk Dutch جُنْك Arabic jong ms ꦗꦺꦴꦁ jv joṅ kaw *d₂luuŋ mkh-pro

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

# junk

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** d͡ʒɐŋk
**IPA (UK):** d͡ʒʌŋk
**Frequency rank:** 3654

## Meanings
1. Old or useless things that you no longer want.
2. Things of poor quality or low value.
3. Nonsense; meaningless talk or writing (informal).

## Examples
- This shed is full of junk; will you help me sort it out?
- He eats nothing but junk food.
- The student wrote junk for answers just to finish quickly.

## Synonyms
- can
- jettison
- pitch
- shift

## Derived Forms
- antijunk
- chartjunk
- cyberjunk
- dejunk
- junk-hook
- junk-sick
- junkaholic
- junkball
- junkboard
- junkbox
- junker
- junkhead

## Related Forms
- genitalia
- nonsense

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: junco
- Root: jonk
- Root: جُنْك
- Root: jong
- Root: ꦗꦺꦴꦁ
- Root: joṅ
- Root: *d₂luuŋ

## Etymology
From Portuguese junco with reinforcement from Dutch jonk, from Arabic جُنْك (junk), from Malay jong, جوڠ, from Javanese ꦗꦺꦴꦁ (jong), from Old Javanese joṅ (“seagoing ship”), probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₂luuŋ ~ *d₂luŋ ~ *d₂luəŋ ~ *d₂ləŋ (“boat”). Doublet of djong.

## AI Etymology
Junk comes from Portuguese junco with reinforcement from Dutch jonk, from Arabic جُنْك (junk), from Malay jong, جوڠ, from Javanese ꦗꦺꦴꦁ (jong), from Old Javanese joṅ (“seagoing ship”), probably from Proto-Mon-Khmer *d₂luuŋ ~ *d₂luŋ ~ *d₂luəŋ ~ *d₂ləŋ (“boat”). Doublet of djong.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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