junk-food
/ˈdʒʌŋk fuːd/ IELTSAcademic
noun
Junk food is food that is high in fat, sugar, or salt, and usually low in healthy nutrients. People often eat it as a snack or treat, not as a healthy meal.
- We try not to eat too much junk food.
- Junk food is cheap and easy to buy.
- He cut down on junk food last month.
Adinary Nuance
Junk food is not just any tasty food. It usually suggests food that is unhealthy or heavily processed. Compared with fast food, junk food focuses more on poor nutrition, while fast food focuses more on speed and convenience. Compared with snacks, it is more negative and often implies guilt or health concerns.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- đồ ăn vặt
- Spanish
- comida chatarra
- Chinese
- 垃圾食品
- Japanese
- ジャンクフード
- Korean
- 정크푸드
Etymology
The word came into English in the 1950s and 1960s. It uses junk in its older sense of something of little value or poor quality.
Common phrases
eat junk foodcut down on junk fooda junk-food dietjunk-food habit
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is junk food formal or informal?
- It is common in everyday English and also used in health writing.
- What is the difference between junk food and fast food?
- Fast food is about speed. Junk food is about poor nutrition and unhealthy ingredients.
- Can I use junk food in IELTS writing?
- Yes, if you are talking about health, diet, or eating habits.
- Is junk food countable or uncountable?
- It is usually uncountable: 'I eat less junk food now.'