What does junking mean?
Junking is an informal word with two related uses. As a noun, it refers to the habit or practice of eating junk food, often with the implication that the eating is excessive or nutritionally poor. As a verb, it means to discard, reject, or treat something as worthless, especially in bulk. The expression “junking out” is common in informal American English for eating junk food, particularly when doing so to indulge. The verb is especially useful in contexts involving obsolete objects, outdated equipment, unwanted records, or material considered commercially irrelevant. Although both senses carry negative or dismissive associations, the noun focuses on poor eating habits, while the verb focuses on the removal or rejection of something regarded as having little value.
The informal practice or habit of eating junk food, especially in excessive amounts.
"Her late-night junking had become a regular habit."
Usually uncountable and often connotes excessive or unhealthy eating.
To discard, reject, or regard something as worthless or of little value.
"The company was junking old servers after completing its upgrade."
Informal and usually transitive.
The plural is rare; junking is normally used as an uncountable noun.
"Their brief attempts at healthy eating were overshadowed by repeated junkings."
The word junk has a famously disputed pedigree: several attractive origin stories have circulated, but none is securely proven.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does junking come from?
Junking is an English formation from junk and the suffix -ing. The origin of junk itself is uncertain, despite several frequently repeated theories, and no proposed source has been securely established. The word was extended to the informal practice of eating junk food, while the present-participle verb form developed more broadly to mean treating or throwing something away as junk.
Related word forms
How junking is actually used
The noun is informal and often implies excessive or nutritionally poor eating. The verb is also informal and typically transitive, carrying a dismissive sense of treating something as worthless.