What does "juke" mean?
A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution.
Juke
/d͡ʒuːk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution.
- Grammar: juke is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: fake, juke house, juke joint, barrelhouse.
- Useful contrasts: be straightforward, data accuracy, direct attack.
- Usage evidence: The racer looked as though he might eat the wall after trying to juke his opponent.
How to use "juke"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "juke" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "juke" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "juke" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "juke" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "juke" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fake" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "juke", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A roadside cafe or bar, especially one with dancing and sometimes prostitution. Southern-US, countable
- 2 A feint. slang
- 3 (football) a deceptive move made by a football player wordnet
- 4 Clipping of jukebox. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable
"The juke played five times for a quarter and she never wearied of tapping. Nor did she tire of the same record five times in a row; she was too indolent to select more than one number."
- 5 The neck of a bird. slang
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a small roadside establishment in the southeastern United States where you can eat and drink and dance to music provided by a jukebox wordnet
- 7 A genre of electronic music native to Chicago, noted for its fast, abstract rhythms; see footwork. uncountable
"All Kouichi Furutono wanted to do was expose Japanese audiences to the skittering sounds of Chicago juke music."
Verb
- 1 To play dance music, or to dance, in a juke.
"‘Let's jouk’ is an invitation to dance, but ‘Let's go joukin’’ is a request for a date."
- 2 To hit. slang
- 3 To deceive or outmaneuver someone using a feint, especially in American football or soccer. intransitive, slang
"Turning the Vikings'¯ blitz against them, Westbrook took a screen pass from Donovan McNabb, then juked and scooted 71 yards for a touchdown."
- 4 To stab. slang
""None of the Latinos liked him." "So now he's dead." "So go talk to the other ten thousand people could've juked him.""
- 5 To deceive or outmaneuver, using a feint. slang, transitive
"The runner juked Connor, the runner juked Smith, and Severin centered on him; he was five yards out, he screamed, he was a yard out, he screamed, he hit the kid so hard that both of their helmets flew off their heads."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To thrust with the pelvis, in particular for sexual intercourse. slang
"Got a ratchet lil bitch and she from Inglewood I'm moving around, I do nothing but jugg I'm fucking these ho like a young nigga should And you'd do the same if you young niggas could"
- 7 To bend the neck; to bow or duck the head. intransitive, slang
"The Money-Merchant, I warrant ye, was ſo Proud of his Truſt, and of his Bell, that he went Juking and Toſſing of his Head, and Tabring with his Feet all the way, as if no Ground would hold him."
- 8 To manipulate deceptively. slang, transitive
"The pilot instinctively juked the nimble chopper, but with so many bullets in the air, and so many of them spreading far from their intended target, it was impossible to evade them all."
- 9 To interrupt a conversation with an unrelated topic. slang, transitive
"Smith likes juking religion when talking with his family at dinner."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
be straightforwarddata accuracydirect attackhuman musician
Example
"The racer looked as though he might eat the wall after trying to juke his opponent."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "juke"?
Common synonyms include: fake, juke house, juke joint, barrelhouse, blues bar, coin operated player.
How do you use "juke" in a sentence?
The racer looked as though he might eat the wall after trying to juke his opponent.
How do you pronounce "juke"?
Pronounced /d͡ʒuːk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Gullah juke, jook, joog (“wicked, disorderly”) (compare Wolof and Bambara dzug (“unsavory”)).
Etymology 2
From Jamaican Creole jook.
Etymology 3
Uncertain. Perhaps from Scots jouk, jowk, juke (“to elude, cheat; duck, skulk; bob, dodge”), palatalized variants of Scots deuk, douk, dowk (“to duck”). More at duck (verb).