redneck

American  

[red-nek] / ˈrɛdˌnɛk /

Or red-neck

noun

1. an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South.

2. a bigot or reactionary, especially from the rural working class.

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adjective

1. Also red-necked narrow, prejudiced, or reactionary.

   a redneck attitude.

   Synonyms:

   intolerant, narrow-minded, biased

   Antonyms:

   impartial, unbiased, tolerant, broad-minded, open-minded, fair-minded

redneck British  

/ ˈrɛdˌnɛk /

noun

1. (in the southwestern US) a poor uneducated White farm worker

2. a person or institution that is extremely reactionary

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adjective

1. reactionary and bigoted

   redneck laws

redneck Cultural  

1. A slang term, usually for a rural white southerner who is politically conservative, racist, and a religious fundamentalist (see fundamentalism). This term is generally considered offensive. It originated in reference to agricultural workers, alluding to how the back of a person's neck will be burned by the sun if he works long hours in the fields.

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Sensitive Note

All the senses of this term are used with disparaging intent, implying negative stereotypical traits such as ignorance and narrow-mindedness.

Etymology

Origin of redneck

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; red ¹ + neck

Compare meaning

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

• hillbilly vs. redneck

Example Sentences

In the mountains he hails from, the community often breaks down into “hippies or rednecks,” said Saxon.

From Los Angeles Times

Michael Trotter Jr. told me that “when you have artists standing onstage yelling about redneck culture, you know they’re not talking to you.”

From Los Angeles Times

Harvesting road kill and dumping it in Central Park as a prank, he said, might have been “a little bit of the redneck in me.”

From Los Angeles Times

A self-described “educated redneck,” Luke was one of 11 Tennesseans with widely divergent views on gun rights selected by the project to discuss potential recommendations to reduce gun violence.

From Seattle Times

He looks a lot like me, and he’s a kind of, like, redneck comedian.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hick
• hillbilly