noun
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seeds or fragments of grass or straw
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informal a yokel
Etymology
Origin of hayseed
Explanation
A hayseed is an unintelligent country person, or a hick. You might be tempted to call your farmer cousin a hayseed, but your cousin would probably be upset. The derogatory term hayseed is aimed at rural folks who aren't particularly urbane or savvy — it's a stereotype of someone who's comfortable in the country being awkward, bumbling, and unsophisticated, especially when visiting a city. This U.S. slang comes from the common 19th century saying that country people "have hayseed in their hair."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Old meaning of hick: hayseed, rube, ill-educated person.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Grey Henson and Ashley D. Kelley as the gleeful Storytellers, Kevin Cahoon as a hayseed philosopher and Caroline Innerbichler as the requisite ingenue all joyfully indulge the cheeky, harmlessly off-color vibe.
From Washington Post • Apr. 20, 2023
As explained in the film, Marx saw an appealing contradiction in Cavett, the Yale-educated Nebraskan, the erudite hayseed.
From New York Times • Dec. 22, 2022
At the height of The Apprentice’s popularity, Megan Mullally found herself performing the Green Acres theme tune alongside Trump – clad in full hayseed outfit – as part of an excruciatingly protracted Emmys bit.
From The Guardian • Aug. 12, 2019
Lawrence was also, in Cooksey’s eyes, still very much a hayseed.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
