1. adjective Trying and failing to affect the outrageous, anti-establishment, countercultural looks, attitudes, and styles made popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Sometimes hyphenated. The theme park has this plastic punk vibe that you can tell was carefully calculated in a board room somewhere by a bunch of rich old men. I was in this plastic-punk band back in college, before I got a handle on the type of music I really wanted to make.

2. noun A person, band, or type of music that tries and fails to replicate punk rock or punk rockers from the late 1970s or early 1980s. The bands my teenager listens to are all these plastic punks trying so desperately to rage against the machine, conveniently forgetting that they are very much a part of that machine. You're not a punk just because you listen to a couple Sex Pistols albums. You're just a plastic punk, at best.

1. noun A young, inexperienced person, especially one who is brazen, impertinent, or arrogant. Typically refers to a male. Some punk came into the office and started telling me how to do my job, as if I haven't been doing it for the last 50 years! I think it's time to teach those little punks how we do things around here. In college, I was just a punk with no experience of the world but lots of opinions.

2. noun A young delinquent or minor criminal. Typically refers to a male. Some young punks came in and messed up my store last night. You little punk—come back here and say that to my face!

3. noun A genre of rock music typically characterized by short, aggressive, fast-paced songs and crude lyrics expressing anti-establishment and anti-mainstream themes. In my opinion, punk is personified by The Ramones.

4. noun Someone who listens to punk music and has adopted the style, aesthetic, and ethos associated with it. That's the dive bar where all the punks hang out after shows.

5. adjective Of, related to, or resembling punk music or culture. You can tell the band is trying to sound more punk on the new album. I love your outfit—very punk!