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yokel

noun
yo·​kel | \ ˈyō-kəl How to pronounce yokel (audio) \

Definition of yokel

: a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town
Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about yokel

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Did You Know?

The origins of "yokel" are uncertain, but it might have come from the dialectal English word yokel, meaning "green woodpecker." Other words for supposedly naive country folk are "chawbacon" (from chaw, meaning "chew," and "bacon"), "hayseed" (which has obvious connections to country life), and "clodhopper" (indicating a clumsy, heavy-footed rustic). But city slickers don't always have the last word: rural folk have had their share of labels for city-dwellers too. One simple example from current use is the often disparaging use of the adjective "citified." A more colorful (albeit historical) example is "cockney," which literally means "cock's egg," or more broadly "misshapen egg." In the past, this word often designated a spoiled or foppish townsman - as opposed to the sturdy countryman, that is.

Examples of yokel in a Sentence

a lame comedy about the misadventures of yokels in the big city

Recent Examples on the Web

 Urbanites defined themselves as forward-looking sophisticates who sneered at yokels in backwaters; cosmopolitanism faced off against parochialism. — Sarah Churchwell, The New York Review of Books, "America’s Original Identity Politics," 7 Feb. 2019 Every single in-game model, from huge wooden shacks to flying spaceships, and from slack-jawed yokels to individual blades of grass, has been handsomely redrawn by this remaster's development team. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "After 8Chan-gate, THQN unveils stirring anti-Nazi game set in 1930s Germany," 11 June 2019 How not to be a local yokel The parents of one of David Benglian’s Penn classmates bought their son a Society Hill townhouse to live in during the school year. — Alfred Lubrano, Philly.com, "Class never dismissed: First-generation Penn alumni still feel like imposters," 25 Oct. 2017 Though comic buffoons and yokels are scattered through a number of Shakespeare’s tragedies, Lear’s universe is relentlessly bleak, and the Fool, despite his jingling, is neither oaf nor jester. — Cynthia Ozick, New York Times, "King Lear Is Reborn as a 21st-Century Media Mogul," 25 Oct. 2017 Everyone is too goddamn afraid of Trump and his band of yokels. — GQ, "ESPN Fed Jemele Hill to the Wolves," 11 Oct. 2017 Though stereotypes cast the Tohoku residents as yokels, Parry finds them sophisticated, if slightly more rugged due to the rough terrain and harsh climate of the region. — Lisa Levy, New Republic, "A Journalist Confronts the Japanese Tsunami," 9 Oct. 2017 Angry that they'll be replaced by technology like Google Home and Amazon Echo, a group of Confederate Flag-waving yokels took to the streets in riot gear, LARPing armor, and Halo helmets to protest. — Matt Miller, Esquire, "Somehow South Park Made White Supremacists Even More Pathetic Last Night," 14 Sep. 2017 Mere hours after the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers to win their second NBA championship in three seasons, some yokel posted a tweet, citing no source, asserting that the Warriors had voted unanimously to boycott a visit to the White House. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Peterson: La Russa enjoyed his White House visits, but it’s a different time for Kerr, Warriors," 14 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yokel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of yokel

circa 1819, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for yokel

perhaps from English dialect yokel green woodpecker, of imitative origin

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More Definitions for yokel

yokel

noun
How to pronounce yokel (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of yokel

informal —used as an insulting word for a person who lives in a small town or in the country far away from cities and is regarded as stupid

See the full definition for yokel in the English Language Learners Dictionary

yokel

noun
yo·​kel | \ ˈyō-kəl How to pronounce yokel (audio) \

Kids Definition of yokel

: a person from a small town or the country who has little education or experience

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More from Merriam-Webster on yokel

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with yokel

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for yokel

Spanish Central: Translation of yokel

Nglish: Translation of yokel for Spanish Speakers

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