: having the characteristics of or suitable for a roughneck
Examples of roughneck in a Sentence
Noun
a town overrun by roughnecks
a group of roughnecks like to hang out at the roadhouse and harass people
Adjective
their roughneck antics were amusing only if you were as drunk as they were
Recent Examples on the Web
William Earl, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
His job as the titular landman is to secure leases for oil extraction, to manage crews of roughnecks, and to deal with local government and police.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
The term 'roughneck' conjures up images of rough-looking, greasy oilfield workers, sort of an iconic visual depiction, like those of cowboys of the old West.
—Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
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Noun
Beyond his duties as a host and journalist, the native West Texan spent time working as an oil roughneck himself, and grew up in a family with members in the fields.
—William Earl, Variety, 22 Dec. 2025
His job as the titular landman is to secure leases for oil extraction, to manage crews of roughnecks, and to deal with local government and police.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2025
Adjective
The show seems organically suited for a more action comedy take, given Hooker’s old style and often roughneck crime fighting style, which seemed out of place in a more woke world.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 5 Aug. 2025
The term 'roughneck' conjures up images of rough-looking, greasy oilfield workers, sort of an iconic visual depiction, like those of cowboys of the old West.
—Matt Randolph, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for roughneck
Cite this Entry
“Roughneck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roughneck. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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