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
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2025
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
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
Local agency Legacy Casting is putting out a call for real-life oil and gas workers, or roughnecks, to appear in the show.
—Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roughneck
Adjective
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The messages—widely condemned as vulgar, misogynistic, racist, and homophobic—also revealed discussions about manipulating media coverage, targeting political opponents, and casual references to the misuse of public funds.—
Israel Melendez Ayala,
Time,
30 Jan. 2026
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Phoenix Open conduct code The Thunderbirds maintain a zero-tolerance policy regarding lewd and lascivious conduct, including but not limited to, disorderly or violent behavior and vulgar or violent language.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave.—
Adam Serwer,
The Atlantic,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Actively inserting yourself into and attempting to stymie federal law enforcement or barging into a church, as some of these thugs did in Minneapolis, is hindering law enforcement and trespassing, respectively.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Zamiri aims to send up the crass monetization of a cultural boom, turning up the film’s absurdity knob to highlight the very real ways in which record labels and other corporate interests attach themselves vampirically to artistic success.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
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Season 4 does introduce the three new Americans via Tender — an online payment system used for gambling and pornography sites, which becomes the focal point of Season 4 — with Penn’s Jonah bringing a crass brand of American humor to the season premiere.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 1991, Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of real-life gangster Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas.—
Sophie Dodd,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
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His acting run continued in August with a role as a gangster in Caught Stealing, which, while less commercially successful, provided another strong entry in Bad Bunny’s growing film portfolio.—
Isabela Raygoza,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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So, a thinking, opinionated, rude wind is just another amalgamation of human and other.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Things may be a bit fractious in NATO these days, but at Paris’ SS/2026 Haute Couture week, the civic side of the WWII Allies’ exchange looks in rude good health.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Immigration and Integration Minister Rasmus Stoklund said 315 foreign criminals from countries outside the European Union had received sentences of more than a year over the last five years but were not expelled.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department did not respond to a request for comment, but officials there have broadly defended the department’s actions as not only justified but necessary for ensuring the rule of law and holding alleged criminals to account.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Picking winners and losers, heroes and villains, pathways to success and failure, generates excitement for an event and manufactures a sense of urgency for maximal viewing pleasure.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
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What the late Ka did to build resolve against the unforgiving brutalities of Brownsville, Marci combines with the flair of a Bond villain and contempt for anyone attempting to copy his mold.—
Dylan Green,
Pitchfork,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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All of their voices are coarse, they’re not measured.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The stainless steel attachment includes a slicing blade, medium shredding blade, and coarse shredding blade that works exceptionally well for thinly slicing vegetables like cucumbers or zucchini, shredding cheese, and cutting firmer foods like potatoes or carrots.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roughneck. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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