hillbilly

American  

[hil-bil-ee] / ˈhɪlˌbɪl i /

noun

plural

hillbillies

1. a term used to refer to a person from a backwoods or other remote area, especially from the mountains of the southern U.S. (sometimes used facetiously).

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adjective

1. of, like, or relating to hillbillies.

   hillbilly humor.

hillbilly British  

/ ˈhɪlˌbɪlɪ /

noun

1. derogatory an unsophisticated person, esp from the mountainous areas in the southeastern US

2. another name for country and western

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Sensitive Note

Hillbilly is often used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting, implying that a person who lives far away from a town or city lacks culture or education. However, this term is also used in a humorous way without intent to offend, and it is sometimes a positive term of self-reference.

Etymology

Origin of hillbilly

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; hill + Billy

Compare meaning

How does hillbilly compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hillbilly vs. redneck

Explanation

A hillbilly is a particularly unworldly country person. If you grew up in a remote rural area, visiting a big city for the first time can make you feel a bit like a hillbilly. It's not nice to call someone a hillbilly — it's an insult, implying stupidity or at least a profound lack of sophistication. You might picture a hillbilly wearing overalls and chewing tobacco, uneducated and inexperienced. Today the word includes anyone who seems to fit this stereotype, but originally it meant specifically "southern Appalachian U.S. resident," from the hilly terrain in that area and the first name Billy.

Example Sentences

Appeared in the March 25, 2026, print edition as 'Andy Beshear’s Hillbilly Education Elegy'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Vance was raised as an evangelical in a chaotic and sometimes deprived upbringing that he described in his memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

In his bestselling 2016 memoir, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, JD Vance recounted how his wife helped him adjust to life at the top law college.

From BBC • Jan. 14, 2025

His mostly absent biological father exposed Vance to his conservative Pentecostal church in Ohio when Vance was a teenager, according to his memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

From Slate • Sep. 30, 2024

I wasn’t Space Boy back then, I was Hillbilly Henry because of a cowboy hat I’d worn every day for weeks.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Related Words

• bumpkin