as in vulgar
lacking in refinement or good taste
their roughneck antics were amusing only if you were as drunk as they were
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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
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 June 2025
Where was Benn, their leader and roughneck captain, when Evan Bouchard gave Hintz a dirty slash on the top of his foot — in the exact same place Darnell Nurse injured him and cost him a game and a half — in Game 4?
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
During my trip, Moore’s corps of consultants and roughnecks were drilling the fifth borehole of their experimental project.
—Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Adjective
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
Where was Benn, their leader and roughneck captain, when Evan Bouchard gave Hintz a dirty slash on the top of his foot — in the exact same place Darnell Nurse injured him and cost him a game and a half — in Game 4?
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Noun
But watching a group of roughnecks on a rig in grubby overalls moving huge, long steel pipes, Dugan's smile begins to fade to a smirk.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 24 Apr. 2025
During my trip, Moore’s corps of consultants and roughnecks were drilling the fifth borehole of their experimental project.
—Brent Crane, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck
Adjective
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Gilliam is not contesting states' rights to ban profane, sexualized or vulgar plates.—
Angele Latham,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
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Two Beal City high schoolers received thousands of vulgar text messages from an unknown sender for months.—
Natalie Davies,
Freep.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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We’re then introduced to Louie, a thug who works for a loan shark, threatening and killing people.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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Their neighbor, an older Jewish woman, gets arrested and Nazi thugs brazenly loot her apartment.—
Rabih Alameddine
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Edwards, along with protesting comrade Tom Hopper (Raife Hastings) and crass CIA contractor Jules Landry (Luke Hemsworth) join a secret CIA unit fighting terrorism in Europe.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
28 Aug. 2025
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Liverpool fans know how hurtful crass chants can be.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The pic is a story about a gangster in modern-day Chicago, inspired by the repentance story of the fifth-century saint of the same name.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
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That‘s led to an artist like Thug wanting to be perceived as a gangster more than a savvy businessman, even with a precarious 15-year probation over his head.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In interviews, Candy, who struggled with his weight for much of his life, had to deal with the press making rude comments about his size.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
4 Sep. 2025
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This question becomes thornier once Dorotea visits Rocca in prison, finding her rude and abrasive though not irrational.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Lawmakers in many states have changed the rules in recent decades to protect winners from being targeted by criminals and unscrupulous people asking for money.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
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Her Eco-Age consultancy, targeted by criminals and forced to close in 2024 after 17 years in business, had advised clients on industry developments, changes to government policies and practical guidance on how to avoid greenwashing.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Trump is mentioned again on Page 156 of the birthday book document in a photo and a handwritten caption with a crude joke allegedly penned by Joel Pashcow, who the Wall Street Journal reports is a long-time Mar-a-Lago member.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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The data also shows that the Reliance refinery gets nearly half its crude oil from Russia.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
8 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Vineland’s repressive villain Brock Vond ends ferried to hell by two Eastside vatos locos, while the hippie father Zoyd reunites with his daughter at an anarchist family picnic.—
John Lopez,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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There are villains in every episode and the story uses them to showcase some societal issues.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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