yokel
/'joukəl/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A person who is perceived as unsophisticated, unintelligent, or having little interest in culture, often specifically from a rural area. The term is typically used in a derogatory or mocking way.
Usage
The word "yokel" is a noun used to describe someone, often from the countryside, who is considered ignorant of modern, urban, or cultured ways. It is a pejorative term and can be offensive.
Examples
- The city tourists sometimes treated the locals like ignorant yokels.
- He felt like a yokel at the fancy art gallery, not understanding any of the paintings.
- The play's comedy relied on the contrast between the sophisticated city dweller and the simple yokel.
Advanced Usage
- "Country yokel": A more specific, redundant phrase emphasizing the rural origin.
- The politician's speech was dismissed as nonsense fit only for country yokels.
Variants and Related Words
- Yokelish (adjective): Having the characteristics of a yokel; unsophisticated.
- His yokelish manners were out of place at the formal dinner.
Synonyms
- Bumpkin
- Hillbilly (especially US)
- Hick
- Rustic (less derogatory)
- Peasant (can be neutral or derogatory depending on context)
Antonyms
- Sophisticate
- Cosmopolitan
- Urbanite
Related Idioms
- "Local yokel": A common, informal phrase used to refer to an unsophisticated local person.
- Ask one of the local yokels for directions to the old mill.
Noun
- a person who is not very intelligent or interested in culture