rubberneck

1 of 2

noun

rub·​ber·​neck ˈrə-bər-ˌnek How to pronounce rubberneck (audio)
1
: an overly inquisitive person
2
: tourist
especially : one on a guided tour

rubberneck

2 of 2

verb

rubbernecked; rubbernecking; rubbernecks

intransitive verb

1
: to look about or stare with exaggerated curiosity
drivers passing the accident slowed down to rubberneck
2
: to go on a tour : sightsee
rubbernecker noun

Examples of rubberneck in a Sentence

Noun every year raucous rubbernecks by the busload descend upon the city for its famed Mardi Gras Verb She was rubbernecking and almost got in an accident herself. thoughtless drivers pausing on the highway to rubberneck at the accident
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
Flimflam felt better in the mouth than swindle, and rubberneck was a more agreeable verb than crane. Ralph Keyes, Time, 1 Apr. 2021 What can only be described as a rubberneck-inducing, Alfalfa hair situation ensues, rendering her date-night vibe—a formfitting V-neck pink dress and no-makeup makeup look—virtually irreparable. Kate Branch, Vogue, 15 July 2018
Verb
The juxtaposition of Lopez’s avant-garde clothes, against the rubbernecking tourists in tees and shorts just outside the barricades, was genius. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Sep. 2024 Or a picture of the grimy, rubbernecking cameraman of Nightcrawler. Marco Grob, Vulture, 22 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rubberneck 

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1894, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1892, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rubberneck was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near rubberneck

Cite this Entry

“Rubberneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rubberneck. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rubberneck

verb
rub·​ber·​neck
ˈrəb-ər-ˌnek
: to look around or stare with great curiosity

More from Merriam-Webster on rubberneck

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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