roughneck

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In “Crazy About a Mercury,” a man says of his roughneck wife, “I thought she was slapping herself in the face in the bar where we met, but it was how she eats peanuts.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

“What probably appealed to Alaskans as much as anything was his roughneck character,” Ornstein added in an interview.

From Washington Post • Mar. 18, 2022

Damon, a gruff, working-class roughneck, sticks around to seek justice for his daughter and find a mystery man who may have been the real killer.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 13, 2021

Boogaard’s death came less than a year after that of Bob Probert, a beloved roughneck of the Detroit Red Wings.

From New York Times • May 7, 2021

A roughneck in coveralls stepped out of the crowd and faced the house.

From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez