Rube: meaning, definitions and examples

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rube

 

[ ruหb ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

naive person

A rube is a person who is naive, unsophisticated, or inexperienced, especially in a particular area or context. Rubes are often seen as easy targets for scams or manipulation due to their lack of knowledge or awareness.

Synonyms

greenhorn, innocent, naive person.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
rube

This term is often used to describe someone who is unsophisticated or not accustomed to urban life. It can have a negative connotation and imply that the person is gullible or ignorant.

  • The city slicker took advantage of the rube from the countryside.
naive person

This phrase describes someone who lacks experience, wisdom, or judgement, often resulting in them being easily tricked or misled. It can have a slightly negative tone.

  • Believing every email she received was genuine, she showed herself to be a naive person.
innocent

Typically used to describe someone who is pure, free from guilt, or unaware of the bad in the world. This term is often used in a positive sense.

  • She was just an innocent child caught in a complicated situation.
greenhorn

This word is usually used to describe someone who is inexperienced or new to a particular activity or field. It can be used in various contexts, such as jobs or hobbies, and doesn't necessarily have a negative meaning.

  • As a greenhorn in the kitchen, he struggled to even boil an egg correctly.

Examples of usage

  • He fell for the scam because he was such a rube.
  • Don't be such a rube, do your research before making a decision.
Context #2 | Noun

country person

In some contexts, a rube can refer to a person from a rural or country area, often with the implication of being unsophisticated or uncultured according to urban standards.

Synonyms

country bumpkin, hayseed, hick.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
rube

Typically used to describe someone naรฏve or unsophisticated, often from a rural area. It's often used in a condescending manner.

  • The city folks laughed at the rube who had never ridden an escalator before.
country bumpkin

Refers to a person from the countryside who seems to lack the sophistication or education typically found in urban inhabitants. It's usually light-hearted or harmless but can be interpreted as mildly pejorative.

  • She felt like a country bumpkin in the big city, amazed by all the tall buildings.
hayseed

This term connotes someone who is rustic or unsophisticated, often with a strong association to farming. It's generally negative and used to belittle.

  • They treated him like a hayseed just because he grew up on a farm.
hick

A derogatory term for someone who is seen as unsophisticated and from a rural area. It carries a strong negative connotation.

  • He moved to the city to prove he wasnโ€™t just some hick from the sticks.

Examples of usage

  • He felt out of place in the city, being a rube from a small town.
  • The city dwellers looked down on the rubes who visited from the countryside.

Translations

Translations of the word "rube" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น desengonรงado

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เค—เค‚เคตเคพเคฐ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Tรถlpel

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ orang bodoh

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฝะตะทะณั€ะฐะฑะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ niezdara

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ไธๅ™จ็”จใชไบบ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท balourd

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ torpe

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท hantal

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์„œํˆฌ๋ฅธ ์‚ฌ๋žŒ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุฃุฎุฑู‚

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ neลกikovnรฝ ฤlovฤ›k

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ neลกikovnรฝ ฤlovek

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ็ฌจๆ‹™็š„ไบบ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ neroda

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ klaufi

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ัˆะฐะปะฐ

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒฃแƒฎแƒ”แƒ แƒฎแƒฃแƒšแƒ˜ แƒแƒ“แƒแƒ›แƒ˜แƒแƒœแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ kobud

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ torpe

Etymology

The term 'rube' originated in the late 19th century in the United States, likely as a shortening of 'Reuben', a common name at the time associated with rural or unsophisticated individuals. It was often used by city dwellers to refer to people from the countryside, emphasizing their perceived lack of sophistication or worldliness. Over time, 'rube' has evolved to mean a naive or inexperienced person in a broader sense.

See also: rub, rubber, rubbing, rubble, rubdown, ruby.

Word Frequency Rank

Ranking #37,558, this word is encountered relatively rarely in everyday English. It might appear in literary works or specialized texts but isn't essential for general communication.