roughneck 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of roughnecknext
as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste their roughneck antics were amusing only if you were as drunk as they were

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

roughneck

2 of 2

noun

ˈrəf-ˌnek How to pronounce roughneck (audio)
as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang a group of roughnecks like to hang out at the roadhouse and harass people

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of roughneck
Adjective
The show seems organically suited for a more action comedy take, given Hooker’s old style and often roughneck crime fighting style, which seemed out of place in a more woke world. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025 Solomon’s estranged roughneck father (Chris Bauer) hawks macho health supplements and scams Solomon into becoming one of his salesmen. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 June 2025
Noun
Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 Livestock ranchers, roughnecks and agriculture have had a storied past in the rural land surrounding what is now a long stretch of Interstate Highway 680. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck
  1. vulgar
  2. thug
  3. crass
  4. gangster
  5. rude
  6. criminal
  7. coarse
  8. villain
Adjective
  • Continue reading … SOUR NOTE — Hayley Williams unleashes vulgar insult at DHS after agency defends ICE officers.
    — , FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • This has made some machine translations comically inaccurate, sometimes turning innocuous words into vulgar references in English.
    — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Noun
  • These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Borisov, who broke through as a thug with a poet’s soul in the 2024 Anora, vests Ilya with the same spiritual contours.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of thug
Adjective
  • But the fashionable-at-the-time nakedness of the YBAs’ desire for money, most completely embodied by Hirst, quickly became crass.
    — Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Noun
  • Certain alleyways were favored for chases and gangster murders.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • When citizens rioted in 1918 because the prices of essential commodities such as rice had spiralled out of control, gangsters were hired to crack down on the protesters.
    — Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of gangster
Adjective
  • Were my siblings rude to ignore my plan and take them for themselves?
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
  • An alligator with a sense of humor knocked on a North Carolina woman’s front door in the middle of the night, and the rascal got a rather rude response.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of rude
Noun
  • That same month, criminals nabbed a $4 million diamond necklace from Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts (MAK).
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
  • For decades, Hollywood actor Danny Trejo’s bread and butter was playing gangsters, prison inmates and other assorted criminals.
    — Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of criminal
Adjective
  • Oils suit dry, damaged, coarse or itchy-scalp hair and overnight treatment.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Authorization and enforcement are almost always too coarse for what production actually requires.
    — Alex Salazar, Forbes.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of coarse
Noun
  • Rival fans were quick to jump all over this fact, given that both the Panthers and the Tkachuk brothers were seen as polarizing villains throughout the NHL.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Is that the most difficult thing for you as the showrunner of a political show today — a president as a villain?
    — Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of villain

Browse Nearby Words

roughly
roughneck
roughnecks
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Cite this Entry

“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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