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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
Many of the policies he’s advocated for, such as removing junk food from school lunches, actually fall to a different agency: the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
—
Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2025
Its speed, convenience, easy cleaning, and facility at making slightly healthier junk food have already made the air fryer a staple in a third of American kitchens.
—
Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2025
The condition was triggered by a lot of things: altitude, junk food, rides that send you in loops, barometric-pressure changes, the taurine in Red Bull, and red wine.
—
Justine Harman, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2025
Department stores are also a difficult group, and stocks that sell junk food are vulnerable as the popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs continues.
—
Julie Coleman, CNBC, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for junk food 
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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 22 Feb. 2025.
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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