junk mail

noun

Any mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited and typically sent in bulk; especially mail of a commercial nature such as advertising circulars and form letters.

Meanings

nounjunk mail (countable and uncountable, plural junk mails)

plural junk mails · alternative junkmail

  1. countableuncountablepostalAny mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited and typically sent in bulk; especially mail of a commercial nature such as advertising circulars and form letters.

    I don't believe it. Junk mail that talks back.

    1988 December 14, Stephen Wyatt, “The Greatest Show in the Galaxy Part 1”, in Doctor Who, spoken by Dorothy ("Ace") McShane (Sophie Aldred)
    1 more example

    In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result.

    2013 May 25, “No hiding place”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8837, page 74

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 垃圾郵件 /垃圾邮件, 垃圾信
  • 垃圾郵件 /垃圾邮件 (lājī yóujiàn, lèsè yóujiàn)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • 垃圾信 (lājīxìn, lèsèxìn)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Finnish roskaposti
  • roskapostimail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
French pourriel, courrier indésirable
  • pourrielmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • courrier indésirablemail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
German Junk-Mail, unerwünschte Post
  • Junk-Mailmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • unerwünschte Postmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • Junkmailmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • Spammailmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Hebrew דֹּאַר זֶבֶל
  • דֹּאַר זֶבֶל (dóar zével)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Hungarian levélszemét
  • levélszemétmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Japanese ジャンクメール, 迷惑メール
  • ジャンクメール (jankumēru)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • 迷惑メール (meiwaku-mēru)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Korean 정크 메일
  • 정크 메일 (jeongkeu meil)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Māori mēra paraurehe
  • mēra paraurehemail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Polish spam
  • spammail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Portuguese lixo postal, lixo eletrônico
  • lixo postalmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • lixo eletrônicomail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Russian макулату́рная по́чта, почто́вая макулату́ра
  • макулату́рная по́чта (makulatúrnaja póčta)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • почто́вая макулату́ра (počtóvaja makulatúra)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • нежела́тельная по́чта (neželátelʹnaja póčta)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • почто́вый му́сор (počtóvyj músor)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
  • джанк-ме́йл (džank-mɛ́jl)mail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Spanish correo basura
  • correo basuramail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Swedish skräppost
  • skräppostmail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Turkish istenmeyen posta
  • istenmeyen postamail or letters that are not welcome or solicited
Cite this entry
APA

junk mail. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/junk%20mail

MLA

“junk mail.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/junk%20mail. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “junk mail,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/junk%20mail.

Source: junk mail on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.