A roughneck is a person whose occupation is hard manual labor. The term applies across a number of industries, but is most commonly associated with the workers on a drilling rig.

The meaning of ROUGHNECK is a rough or uncouth person. How to use roughneck in a sentence.

The ideal of the hard-working, tough roughneck has been adopted by several sports teams who use the phrase as part of their name or logo.

ROUGHNECK meaning: 1 : someone who behaves in a rough, rude, or aggressive way; 2 : someone who works on an oil rig or at an oil well

If you describe someone as a roughneck, you disapprove of them because you think they are not gentle or polite, and can be violent.

Nov 21, 2025 · roughneck (plural roughnecks) This first ship had a small geophysical-type drilling rig mounted over the side of the ship with a steel grid runround for the roughnecks, who stood in knee …

A roughneck is a laborer who performs physically demanding work, typically in oil drilling or construction. The term can also describe someone with a tough, rugged demeanor. It is often used informally.

roughneck, n. meanings, etymology, pronunciation and more in the Oxford English Dictionary

A roughneck is a troublemaker who gets in a lot of fights and doesn’t have good manners. Roughnecks are also men who work at dangerous, grueling hard-labor jobs.

Define roughneck. roughneck synonyms, roughneck pronunciation, roughneck translation, English dictionary definition of roughneck. n. 1. An uncouth person. 2. A rowdy. 3. A member of the crew of …