redneck
redneck Lexical Profile
redneck Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A working-class white person from a rural area, especially in the southern United States, often stereotyped as lacking sophistication or holding conservative, provincial views.
"The sociologist examined how the media portrays the rural redneck in modern American cinema."
• adjective
North American Relating to, characteristic of, or associated with rural, working-class white people, especially from the southern United States.
"The comedian built a successful career around affectionate redneck humor and stories about small-town life."
Word Nuance & Usage
While often used disparagingly to stereotype rural working-class white people as unsophisticated or reactionary, the term has also been reclaimed as a badge of pride by many within rural Southern and working-class communities.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century in the southern United States, originally referring literally to a sunburned neck resulting from long hours of outdoor agricultural labor.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.