yokel

[ yoh-kuhl ]

noun

, Informal

1. an unsophisticated person from a rural area; a country bumpkin.

yokel

/ ˈjəʊkəl /

noun

1. derogatory.
   (used chiefly by townspeople) a person who lives in the country, esp one who appears to be simple and old-fashioned

Derived Forms

• ˈyokelish, adjective

Other Words From

• yokel·ish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of yokel¹

First recorded in 1805–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of yokel¹

C19: perhaps from dialect yokel green woodpecker, yellowhammer

Example Sentences

Senate run the following year, Springer referenced a quote by then National Review commentator Jonah Goldberg, who warned of new people brought to the polls by Springer, including “slack-jawed yokels, hicks, weirdos, pervs and whatnots.”

From Seattle Times

And yet, this media myth persists that it's all just an act to win over the "base" of uneducated yokels.

From Salon

They find it hard to fathom why anyone would want to live in a place that films, TV shows and other media have taught them is a cesspool populated only by slack-jawed yokels.

From Washington Post

I wasn’t even sure what a yokel was, but I tried blending in anyway.

From Literature

The only yokels in the hearing room were on the dais.

From Washington Post

Related Words

• boor
• country bumpkin