feeling punky

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseinformalAmerican

   Feeling slightly sick or unwell, as if a mild illness is starting.

   Grammar: Used after be or feel: I'm feeling punky today. It describes a state, not an action.

   Patterns

   • be feeling punky
   • feel a little punky
   • start feeling punky

   I'm feeling punky this morning, so I'll skip the gym.

   She said she was feeling punky and went to bed early.

   He started feeling punky after lunch and left work at three.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseinformal

   Feeling full of energy in a rough, rebellious, punk-rock way.

   Grammar: Used after be or feel; usually said of a mood or style rather than an illness: the band was feeling punky and loud.

   Patterns

   • be feeling punky
   • feel punky and restless

   After the concert the whole crowd was feeling punky and ready to shout.

   She cut her hair short because she was feeling punky that week.

Common combinations

feeling a bit punky

I'm feeling a bit punky, so I'll have soup instead of pizza.

feeling pretty punky

By Friday he was feeling pretty punky and stayed home.

woke up feeling punky

I woke up feeling punky with a sore throat.

feeling punky all day

The baby was feeling punky all day and wouldn't eat.

Synonyms and how they differ

under the weather

The usual neutral idiom for feeling slightly ill; it sounds more standard than 'feeling punky'.

off

Informal and very short, as in 'I'm feeling a bit off'; it is vaguer than 'punky'.

unwell

More formal and more serious-sounding; use it in writing or when speaking to a doctor.

Opposites

Word family

punk noun

A loud, aggressive style of rock music, or a fan of it; the adjective 'punky' comes from this word.

punky adjective

Having the rough, energetic style of punk music or fashion.

Commonly confused: feeling punky or funky?

Practice

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