as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
their roughneck antics were amusing only if you were as drunk as they were
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of roughneck
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
Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Aussie roughnecks and their families arrived en masse, bringing beer, pies, and music.
—Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roughneck 
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
Noun
Premiere date: November 17 Where to stream Landman: Paramount+
Synopsis: From Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan, Landman is based in the heart of Texas and follows roughnecks and billionaires trying to get rich quickly in the oil industry.
—Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
Aussie roughnecks and their families arrived en masse, bringing beer, pies, and music.
—Sean Williams, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for roughneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck
Adjective
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The footage shows Caldwell calling the nearby Packers fans vulgar and sexist names, while taunting the man accompanying her with explicit gestures.—
Jackson Thompson,
Fox News,
18 Jan. 2025
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Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, let out multiple outbursts during his first appearance in court since he was arrested over the weekend and accused of making a series of vulgar, threatening online statements at Clark, the Indiana Fever superstar.—
Samira Puskar,
NBC News,
14 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The investigation leads Cole into an ugly world of red-neck thugs and disappeared girls.—
Sandra Dallas,
The Denver Post,
2 Feb. 2025
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How many of you recall the TV image on Jan. 6, 2021, of Officer Daniel Hodges, squashed in a revolving door at the U.S. Capitol, screaming for help as MAGA thugs beat on his head?—
Trudy Rubin,
The Mercury News,
30 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Ak — who was previously accused of rape — was immediately faced with accusations of grooming, later admitting to his crass behavior.—
Jessica Bennett,
VIBE.com,
27 Jan. 2025
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After a decade as openers for regional musical acts, and only gradually incorporating often crass comedy into their act, Williams and Ree moved to Los Angeles and became regulars at the Comedy Store during the late 1970s.—
Etan Vlessing,
The Hollywood Reporter,
23 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Three Thai women were rescued after a group of Chinese gangsters enslaved them in the former Soviet republic of Georgia in order to harvest their eggs.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
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The film stars Ha Jung-woo as Min-tae, a former gangster who discovers his brother Seok-tae’s lifeless body and learns that Seok-tae’s wife, Moon-young (played by Yoo Da-in), has disappeared.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Not wanting to be rude, the plumber welcomed Albert in.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
6 Feb. 2025
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Harry would’ve been grumpy and rude, making brusque jokes about inane gender stereotypes and asking direct, invasive questions about anatomy.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
6 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Many citizens have come to believe that for too long, the rights of criminals have trumped the rights of citizens to be safe and free from violence.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
8 Feb. 2025
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Doing so will also mitigate the economic impacts, as criminals do not contribute to the American economy.—
Douglas Schoen,
Orange County Register,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While crude oil was the largest import for Alabama in 2023, automobile and automobile parts followed right behind.—
Jennifer Lindahl,
USA TODAY,
18 Feb. 2025
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The Midstream segment provides crude oil and refined petroleum product transportation, terminaling and processing services, as well as natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) transportation, storage, fractionation, gathering, processing and marketing service.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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This shortcoming extends to its assortment of villains who, despite including celebrity appearances like AEW wrestler Samoa Joe, fail to leave a memorable impression beyond being yet another obstacle on the way to the end credits.—
Isaiah Colbert,
Rolling Stone,
18 Feb. 2025
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More news: Warner Bros Delays 'The Batman 2' For a Third Time One of Batman's biggest foes is Clayface, a villain who can mold his body into a multitude of devastating shapes.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near roughneck
Cite this Entry
“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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