German word

Punk

Pronunciation

IPA/paŋk/

Meaning

  • masculine nounpunk

Example

Er ist ein Punk.

He is a punk.

Illustration for Punk (punk)

More examples

Sie ist in der Punk-Szene als Punk bekannt.

She is known as a punk in the punk scene.

Core concept

A spiky-haired figure in torn clothes, surrounded by loud guitar music and a deliberate refusal to fit in.

Common phrases

  • als Punk auftreten

    appear as a punk

  • Punk-Szene

    punk scene

  • Punk-Look

    punk-style look

Similar words

Punker: A person whose clothing and attitude reflect the punk movement.
Punkrock: A forceful rock genre featuring rapid rhythms and an aggressive sound.
Punkmusik: The broader body of rock music based on fast, aggressive songs.
Subkultur: A non-mainstream cultural community with its own values and lifestyle.

Definition in German

Punk bezeichnet jemanden, der sich durch provokantes Aussehen, Musikgeschmack oder politisches Verhalten gegen gesellschaftliche Normen stellt.

Word origin

German Punk is borrowed from English punk, whose older sense referred to a worthless or disreputable person before the modern punk-rock and subcultural sense developed.

Usage tips

  • The German noun is masculine, with der Punk and the plural Punks, and it can refer to a person rather than only to the music or scene.

Opposites

  • Spießerbourgeoisnoun
  • Konformistconformistnoun

Related words

  • Punkmusikpunk musicnoun
  • Punkerpunk rockernoun
  • punkigpunk-likeadjective

Word lists with this word