junk food
noun
1
: food that is high in calories but low in nutritional content
2
: something that is appealing or enjoyable but of little or no real value
video junk food
Examples of junk food in a Sentence
worrying about kids eating too much junk food
eating too many junk foods
Recent Examples on the Web
Studies have shown that people are more likely to crave fruits and vegetables over junk food when taking the drugs.
—
Madison Muller, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024
Haigh then cuts to Adam sitting on his couch, eating junk food and watching junk TV until the wee hours.
—Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
Analysts at Barclays, the bank that encouraged a shorting of junk food credits, were bullish on the prospects of French food manufacturer Danone.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 8 Feb. 2024
People living in rural areas and with more physical activities as a lifestyle and with no junk food (or less) live longer and healthier.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 17 Feb. 2024
Sorry to bring such brutal reality into a column that kicked off with the promise of discussing football, pop stars and junk food.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission sent cease and desist letters to companies that made THC products that were packaged to look like Doritos, Nerds Ropes and other junk food.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
Sweets are a popular Lenten sacrifice, alongside alcohol, junk food and other indulgences.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024
My character in Masters drinks a lot and eats a lot of junk food.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2024
Madison Muller, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024
Haigh then cuts to Adam sitting on his couch, eating junk food and watching junk TV until the wee hours.
—Lisa Rosen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2024
Analysts at Barclays, the bank that encouraged a shorting of junk food credits, were bullish on the prospects of French food manufacturer Danone.
—Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 8 Feb. 2024
People living in rural areas and with more physical activities as a lifestyle and with no junk food (or less) live longer and healthier.
—Torie Bosch, STAT, 17 Feb. 2024
Sorry to bring such brutal reality into a column that kicked off with the promise of discussing football, pop stars and junk food.
—Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 2024
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission sent cease and desist letters to companies that made THC products that were packaged to look like Doritos, Nerds Ropes and other junk food.
—Jen Christensen, CNN, 9 Feb. 2024
Sweets are a popular Lenten sacrifice, alongside alcohol, junk food and other indulgences.
—Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024
My character in Masters drinks a lot and eats a lot of junk food.
—Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'junk food.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1952, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Articles Related to junk food
Dictionary Entries Near junk food
Cite this Entry
“Junk food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/junk%20food. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
junk food
noun
: food that is high in calories but low in nutritional value
More from Merriam-Webster on junk food
Nglish: Translation of junk food for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about junk food
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