Hoosier
Americannoun
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a native or inhabitant of Indiana (used as a nickname).
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(usually lowercase) any awkward, unsophisticated person, especially a rustic.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of Hoosier
An Americanism dating back to 1920–30; of uncertain origin
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.
Michigan and Ohio drivers saw sharp price drops, while the Hoosier State “experienced even steeper relief after the state temporarily waived both its excise and use taxes on gasoline.”
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
Mendoza’s from Miami, so the title game will be a homecoming for him as South Beach braces for candy striped pool towels and a sunscreened Hoosier invasion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 10, 2026
It was the first touchdown scored by a Hoosier at the Rose Bowl in program history, the perfect way to establish Indiana’s domination.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 1, 2026
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s most prestigious award.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 31, 2025
Hoosier Hill is only eleven miles from town, so we don’t have far to go.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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.
