Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

hillbilly

noun hill·bil·ly \ ˈhil-ˌbi-lē \

Definition of hillbilly

plural hillbillies
often disparaging + offensive
: a person from a backwoods area

See hillbilly defined for English-language learners

See hillbilly defined for kids

Examples of hillbilly in a Sentence

  1. Other kids called her a hillbilly because of her accent and her simple clothes.

  2. in the skit, he was a shy hillbilly in love with a city girl

Origin and Etymology of hillbilly

1hill + Billy, nickname for William

First Known Use: 1881

in the meaning defined above

hillbilly Synonyms

Synonyms

bumpkin, churl, clodhopper, cornball, countryman, hayseed, hick, provincial, rube, rustic, yokel;

Antonyms

cosmopolitan, cosmopolite, sophisticate;

Near Antonyms

slicker, smoothy (or smoothie);

metropolitan, suburbanite, urbanite;

Related Words

boor, clod, clown, gawk, lout, oaf;

greenhorn, tenderfoot;

backwoodsman, mountaineer;

HILLBILLY Defined for English Language Learners

hillbilly

noun

Definition of hillbilly for English Language Learners

  • : a person who lives in the country far away from cities and who is often regarded as someone who lacks education, who is stupid, etc.

HILLBILLY Defined for Kids

hillbilly

noun hill·bil·ly \ ˈhil-ˌbi-lē \

Definition of hillbilly for Students

plural hillbillies
: a person from a backwoods area

Learn More about hillbilly

  1. See words that rhyme with hillbilly Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for hillbilly Spanish Central: Translation of hillbilly Nglish: Translation of hillbilly for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hillbilly? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

nonchalant

play

having an air of easy unconcern

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. probity 'adherence to the highest principles and ideals'

  2. sequacious 'intellectually servile'

  3. inadmissible 'not capable of being allowed'

  4. oligarch, pejorative 'a member a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes'

  5. emolument 'the returns arising from office or employment usually in the form of compensation or perquisites'

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

hillbilly

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

  • rubens-painting
  • Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games