roughneck

1 of 2

noun

rough·​neck ˈrəf-ˌnek How to pronounce roughneck (audio)
1
a
: a rough or uncouth person
b
2
: a worker of an oil-well-drilling crew other than the driller

roughneck

2 of 2

adjective

: having the characteristics of or suitable for a roughneck

Examples of roughneck in a Sentence

Noun a town overrun by roughnecks a group of roughnecks like to hang out at the roadhouse and harass people Adjective their roughneck antics were amusing only if you were as drunk as they were
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Landman, set in the oil fields of West Texas, is punctuated by extensive diatribes from Tommy about the oil industry’s importance, the tragic necessity of landmen and roughnecks, and the fallacy of placing society’s hope on renewable energy. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024 In 1989, Panguna shuttered, and its roughnecks fled from Arawa. Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
Adjective
That sequence feels like it might have been made by one of those roughneck filmmakers in the early days of Hollywood, just hauling a lot of equipment and stuntmen out to the desert and risking their lives to make some crazed, truly dangerous action set piece. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 22 May 2024 Trey Smoak’s roughneck monitor lizard was out of his sight for about 10 minutes Friday when the Crowley resident went to put up groceries. Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for roughneck 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roughneck was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near roughneck

Cite this Entry

“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughneck. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

roughneck

noun
rough·​neck
ˈrəf-ˌnek
1
: a rough person : rowdy
2
: a worker on a crew drilling oil wells

More from Merriam-Webster on roughneck

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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