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
Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
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
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
And the guys playing all of our roughnecks were the same.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck
Adjective
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The comics were often dismissed as a vulgar form, but the bad joke of our superhero-movie culture is that most of it is a vulgarization of the comics.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
8 July 2025
-
Nan’s rebellion was never loud or vulgar but always quietly confident and effortlessly elegant.—
Felicity Carter,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Ultra Man is sort of Lex's thug and is pretty powerful.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
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This will reveal paid fake thugs posing as protesters becoming violent.—
James Rainey,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
Adjective
-
Brandi Glanville & Lisa Vanderpump (RHOBH) Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photo: Kelsey McNeal/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images Lisa and Brandi were an odd fit from the start: Brandi, the crass newbie; Lisa Vanderpump, the grande dame of Beverly Hills.—
Eddie Mouradian,
Vulture,
11 June 2025
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Most Popular Most Popular Asking Eric: The parents refuse to cut their trip short despite their teen’s crisis Asking Eric: The parents refuse to cut their trip short despite their teen's crisis Dear Abby: Is there a way to tell the crass shirttail relations that they’re not invited?—
Nathan Canilao,
Mercury News,
10 May 2025
Noun
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Alfredo’s lifelong business partner and small-time gangster Annibale (Marco Giallini) even sees it as his chance to ask Lorella on a date.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 July 2025
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Where to watch: Tubi 'Sinners' Ryan Coogler's sinfully good period musical gangster vampire horror flick is one of the best movies of the year, period.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Nearly one in four Gen Z professionals viewed the thumbs-up as rude or hostile.—
Dr. Diane Hamilton,
Forbes.com,
3 July 2025
-
This strikes me as rude and short-sighted (no pun intended).—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Recently, however, the technology has been used by criminals for purposes of sextortion.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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But with this bill, Republicans are laying the groundwork to gut safeguards that stopped criminals from getting these deadly weapons.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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The Montana Department of Labor & Industry reported that its top three imports from Canada in 2021 were crude oil, platinum waste and scrap, and conifer wood.—
Jenna Sundel
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
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The Fort Worth water department is using the Village Creek Drying Beds as part of an emergency response to a spill of 2,600 barrels of crude oil near Lake Arlington in early May.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Serial killers with a code, far-future space operas, superheroes doing battle with dastardly villains.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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Matthias Schoenaerts signed on as the film's villain, Krem of the Yellow Hills, in September 2024, per Deadline, and a few months later, Jason Momoa confirmed his casting as the violent intergalactic bounty hunter, Lobo.—
Samantha Stutsman,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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