beatnik

[ beet-nik ]

noun

1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a member of the Beat Generation.
2. a person who rejects or avoids conventional behavior, dress, etc.

beatnik

/ ˈbiːtnɪk /

noun

1. a member of the Beat Generation (sense 1)
2. informal.
   any person with long hair and shabby clothes

Word History and Origins

Origin of beatnik¹

1955–60, Americanism; beat (adj.) (as in Beat Generation ) + -nik

Word History and Origins

Origin of beatnik¹

C20: from beat (n) + -nik , by analogy with Sputnik

Example Sentences

How could this crazy beatnik character be Disney?

From Los Angeles Times

He stars as the busboy at a beatnik bar who uses his incredibly lifelike sculptures to impress the hip clientele.

From New York Times

As she deftly demonstrated the choreography’s awkwardness while playing it straight, my mind went for a moment to Audrey Hepburn’s beatnik dance in “Funny Face.”

From New York Times

Spectral students from various eras offer a range of familiar types — jock, beatnik, stoner, gay kid —and remind us that as long as you live, and even afterward, you’re never out of high school.

From Los Angeles Times

In America, the term “counterculture” is so associated with hippies, beatniks, bohemians and the like, it might seem odd to think of self-described conservatives as counterculture types.

From Los Angeles Times