ROUGHNECK Synonyms: 127 Similar and Opposite Words

roughneck 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of roughneck

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

roughneck

2 of 2

noun

ˈrəf-ˌnek

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

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.

Recent Examples of roughneck

Adjective

The show seems organically suited for a more action comedy take, given Hooker’s old style and often roughneck crime fighting style, which seemed out of place in a more woke world. — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025 Solomon’s estranged roughneck father (Chris Bauer) hawks macho health supplements and scams Solomon into becoming one of his salesmen. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 June 2025

Noun

Zeus did not approve of his daughter fooling around with this mortal roughneck hunter and put out a hit on Orion. — Mike Lynch, Twin Cities, 8 Mar. 2026 Livestock ranchers, roughnecks and agriculture have had a storied past in the rural land surrounding what is now a long stretch of Interstate Highway 680. — Kyle Martin, Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for roughneck

Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck

Adjective

Please do not waste your sympathy on the misguided and vulgar notion that spending loads of money is a prerequisite for a lovely wedding or meaningful reception.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Taylor describes inappropriate physical touch, as well as the knight cornering her and saying vulgar things.

— Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of vulgar

Noun

The other was Albrecht Hohler, thirty, a Communist member of the paramilitary group the Red Front Fighters and well known locally as a particularly vicious thug—a petty criminal who had been released from jail only a few months earlier.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
These low-level thugs typically are not believed to be formally aligned with Iran.

— Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of thug

Adjective

But the fashionable-at-the-time nakedness of the YBAs’ desire for money, most completely embodied by Hirst, quickly became crass.

— Eliza Goodpasture, ARTnews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of crass

Noun

All those old Warner Brothers gangster movies were always playing on TV.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2026
The Capone associates lined up six members of Moran's gang, and a seventh unaffiliated man who apparently liked hanging out with gangsters, against the north wall of the garage.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of gangster

Adjective

Rosie Campbell, Managing Director of Eleos AI Research, a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and addressing the potential well-being of AI, said that some other studies have even shown that rude questions can actually improve results.

— Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 1 Nov. 2026
Others have seized on comments he’s made about the event, such as calling attendees rude or casting town halls as dangerous.

— Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of rude

Noun

The 83-year-old Mann is known for directing gritty crime stories, many of which look at cops and criminals and are set in urban landscapes.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 1 Nov. 2026
If a criminal still controls the sender's inbox, that person could potentially intercept the question and send a reassuring answer.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of criminal

Adjective

Coir doormats, made with coconut fiber, are appreciated for their coarse, abrasive textures.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
At Cafe Cuil on the Isle of Skye, the menu features properly traditional, coarse pinhead oats soaked in oat milk overnight and finished with a seasonal topping – currently, hazelnut brittle praline and poached pears.

— Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of coarse

Noun

Still, this villain’s origin story works better as a showcase for effects than anything tragic.

— Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Directed by Grammy Award-winning filmmaker James Mackel, the visual is three-and-a-half minutes of spy stuff, our hero, dressed to impress, making short work of the many villains who lurk in her hotel.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of villain

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roughneck

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Style

“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of roughneck

adjective

noun

Example Sentences

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