yokel

UK: /ˈjəʊk^əl/ US: /ˈjoʊkəl/ ,(yō′kəl)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

yo•kel /ˈyoʊkəl/   n. [countable]

1. an unsophisticated person;
   country bumpkin.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

yo•kel  (yō′kəl), n. 

1. a rustic;
   a country bumpkin.

• origin, originally uncertain 1805–15

yo′kel•ish, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

yokel / ˈjəʊk^əl/ noun

1. (used chiefly by townspeople) a person who lives in the country, esp one who appears to be unsophisticated

Etymology: 19th Century: perhaps from dialect yokel green woodpecker, yellowhammer