Word
hick
US/ˈhɪk/
UK/hˈɪk/
Definition
n. a person who is considered unsophisticated or uneducated, usually because they live in the countryside. It is a rude word that people use to make fun of someone's background.
n. a person perceived as unsophisticated, unrefined, or lacking in urban cultural knowledge. Often carries a derogatory or classist tone; frequently used in regional dialects to mock rural residents.
Examples
“He was treated like a hick by the city kids.”
“The movie was criticized for its lazy portrayal of the protagonist as a simple-minded hick.”
“Sociologists often examine how the term 'hick' functions as a linguistic tool to enforce urban-centric cultural hierarchies and marginalize rural communities.”
Examples
simple
“He was treated like a hick by the city kids.”
contextual
“The movie was criticized for its lazy portrayal of the protagonist as a simple-minded hick.”
complex
“Sociologists often examine how the term 'hick' functions as a linguistic tool to enforce urban-centric cultural hierarchies and marginalize rural communities.”
Etymology
From Hick (“pet form of Richard”).
Onomatopoeic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hick