hillbilly

[ hil-bil-ee ]
See synonyms for hillbilly on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural hill·bil·lies.
  1. a term used to refer to a person from a backwoods or other remote area, especially from the mountains of the southern U.S. (sometimes used facetiously).

adjective
  1. of, like, or relating to hillbillies: hillbilly humor.

Origin of hillbilly

1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; hill + Billy

usage note For hillbilly

Hillbilly is often used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting, implying that a person who lives far away from a town or city lacks culture or education. However, this term is also used in a humorous way without intent to offend, and it is sometimes a positive term of self-reference.

Words Nearby hillbilly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use hillbilly in a sentence

  • Nobody had any money except the hillbilly and he went home for the three days and really lived it up.

  • Obviously a hillbilly, he carried a carbine as though it were a part of him.

    Trading Jeff and his Dog | James Arthur Kjelgaard
  • Jeff, who knew that it's as easy to trade a hillbilly out of his hand as to separate him from his rifle, continued to work calmly.

    Trading Jeff and his Dog | James Arthur Kjelgaard
  • He rolled his big white eyes at me: "What in the name of Uncle hillbilly air you up to then?"

British Dictionary definitions for hillbilly

hillbilly

/ (ˈhɪlˌbɪlɪ) /


nounplural -lies
  1. usually derogatory an unsophisticated person, esp from the mountainous areas in the southeastern US

  2. another name for country and western

Origin of hillbilly

1
C20: from hill + Billy (the nickname)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012