hick

1 of 2

noun

: an unsophisticated provincial person
hickish adjective

hick

2 of 2

adjective

: unsophisticated, provincial
a hick town

Examples of hick in a Sentence

Noun We felt like a bunch of hicks when we went to the city for the first time. city dwellers who looked down on their cousins from northern Maine as hicks
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The series takes place in the fictional town of Letterkenny, Ontario, and follows its residents, who belong to one of three groups — the hicks, the skids, or the hockey players. Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Nov. 2023 Bill talks like a hick. Dana Hunsinger Benbow, The Indianapolis Star, 17 Nov. 2021 Norm Macdonald, at his best, was a divinely hilarious, brave and absurd anomaly — a backwoods Canadian hick with the phrasing of a poet, a mad bomber and destroyer of worlds who was, simultaneously, a principled and loyal friend. Conan O'Brien, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2022 Michael Stulhbarg, cast against type as a grinning hick in overalls, and Jessica Harper, tersely compelling as Maren’s adoptive grandmother. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 2 Sep. 2022 For all of his self-ridicule about being an uneducated hick, Bird would prove to have the best grasp of the reporter-player relationship of all the Celtics players during my time covering the team. BostonGlobe.com, 9 Nov. 2021 There was also a lovely moment of hillbilly elegizing, as one of the pundits put on his best hick costume to get in with the little people. Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 July 2021 As written by Cain and portrayed by Hoesktra, Reeves is a Texas hick but a quick learner; tense and explosive; profane yet disciplined; disordered but aware of right and wrong. Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2021 The images of people gathering on Florida beaches conjure the dynamics of the Florida Man meme, which delights in the broad-brush painting of Floridians as criminally stupid hicks. Amanda Hess, New York Times, 11 May 2020
Adjective
One is a sick herb; the other is a hick Serb. Washington Post, 18 Nov. 2021 Rimac moved to Germany at age 2 and then to an independent Croatia in his early teens, where he was teased for his hick Bosnian accent. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2021 All of California isn’t vegan with wild hair, just like all of Texas isn’t overly crazy conservative, southern or hick accents, riding horses and shooting armadillos. Emily Bloch, Teen Vogue, 10 Sep. 2018 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hick, nickname for Richard

First Known Use

Noun

1669, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hick was in 1669

Dictionary Entries Near hick

Cite this Entry

“Hick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hick. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.

Kids Definition

hick

noun
ˈhik
: an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country

More from Merriam-Webster on hick

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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