hick

1 of 2

noun

ˈhik How to pronounce hick (audio)
Synonyms of hicknext
US, informal + disapproving
: an unsophisticated person with local or restricted interests or outlook
hickish
ˈhi-kish How to pronounce hick (audio)
adjective

hick

2 of 2

adjective

: unsophisticated, provincial
a hick town

Synonyms of hick

Relevance

Noun

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Examples of hick in a Sentence

Noun We felt like a bunch of hicks when we went to the city for the first time. city dwellers who looked down on their cousins from northern Maine as hicks
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In first grade, when a teacher called him a hick, Ciotti threw an inkwell at her. — D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024 Without so many of the fears, complexes, and prejudices hick shaped us in the ‘90s and the ‘00s. — John Hopewell, Variety, 20 June 2025
Adjective
Rimac moved to Germany at age 2 and then to an independent Croatia in his early teens, where he was teased for his hick Bosnian accent. — Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 3 Oct. 2021 Allen’s enduring affection for Keaton is as evident on the page as his insistence that Los Angeles (where Keaton was born and raised) is a hick town. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hick

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hick, nickname for Richard

First Known Use

Noun

1669, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hick was in 1669

Rhymes for hick

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Browse Nearby Words

hic jacet
hick
hickey
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hick. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

hick

noun
ˈhik
: an awkward or simple person especially from a small town or the country

More from Merriam-Webster on hick

Nglish: Translation of hick for Spanish Speakers

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