redneck

or red-neck

[ red-nek ]

noun

1. an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South.
2. a bigot or reactionary, especially from the rural working class.

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

/ ˈrɛdˌnɛk /

noun

1. (in the southwestern US) a poor uneducated White farm worker
2. a person or institution that is extremely reactionary

adjective

1. reactionary and bigoted

   redneck laws

redneck

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.

Sensitive Note

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of redneck¹

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

Example Sentences

“Yes, I’m a cowboy, redneck, right-wing conservative, Republican, all of that,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

There was a breakdown with a character called Hurley, and he was listed as something along the lines of a 50-year-old redneck.

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

Related Words

• hick
• hillbilly