cowboy

noun
UK: /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/
US: /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/

  1. A man, typically in the past, who rode horses and took care of cattle in the western United States.

    1. The cowboy rode his horse into town. [ ] [ ]
    2. The old cowboy reminisced about his days on the ranch and shared stories. [ ] [ ]

  2. A person who works on a ranch, taking care of cattle and often riding horses.

    1. My uncle is a cowboy on a big farm. [ ] [ ]
    2. Being a modern cowboy requires both traditional skills and new technologies. [ ] [ ]

  3. A reckless or irresponsible person, especially in business.

    1. That cowboy builder did a bad job. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company was run by cowboy traders, leading to huge losses. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

buckaroo daredevil cattleman rancher
cowboy intransitive-verb

  1. To act in a reckless or irresponsible way, especially in business or other activities.

    1. Don't cowboy it; think it through. [ ] [ ]
    2. The company was cowboying its operations, ignoring safety regulations. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "cowboy" in English means: A man, typically in the past, who rode horses and took care of cattle in the western United States., A person who works on a ranch, taking care of cattle and often riding horses., A reckless or irresponsible person, especially in business..

The phonetic transcription of "cowboy" is /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/ in British English and /ˈkaʊbɔɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "cowboy": buckaroo, daredevil, cattleman, rancher.

Example usage of "cowboy": "The cowboy rode his horse into town.". More examples on the page.