hick
hick Lexical Profile
hick Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A person from a rural or provincial area who is regarded as unsophisticated, gullible, or narrow-minded (informal, derogatory).
"The con artists mistakenly assumed the quiet farmer was a gullible hick whom they could easily swindle."
• adjective
North American Characteristic of a small, rural, or provincial place and regarded as unsophisticated (informal, derogatory).
"The playwright grew tired of critics dismissing his hometown as a backward hick town."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Hick" is an informal, often derogatory term used primarily in North American English to stereotype rural residents as unsophisticated or provincial, so it should be avoided in polite or formal discourse.
• Rhymes for hick
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the late 17th century, "hick" originated as a familiar pet form of the English given name Richard (alongside Rick and Dick) before becoming a generic label for an unsophisticated country dweller.