Rubberneck

B2 8+

Pronunciation: /ˈrʌbərˌnɛk/

Definitions of rubberneck

noun a person who stares inquisitively at something that is unusual or out of the ordinary

Example Sentences

A1 I saw a rubberneck on the highway while driving to work.

A2 The rubberneck caused a traffic jam by slowing down to look at the accident.

B1 Tourists often act like rubbernecks, gawking at the tall buildings in the city.

B2 The rubberneck was so distracted by the street performer that they almost tripped over.

C1 The rubberneck's curiosity led them to stop and watch the movie being filmed on the street.

C2 As a seasoned rubberneck, the detective knew how to discreetly observe the suspects without being noticed.

verb to turn one's head to stare inquisitively at something

Example Sentences

A1 She rubbernecked at the accident on the highway.

A2 The tourists rubbernecked at the famous landmarks in the city.

B1 Drivers should avoid rubbernecking to prevent traffic accidents.

B2 The celebrity's arrival caused a lot of rubbernecking among the crowd.

C1 It's considered rude to rubberneck at other people's personal conversations.

C2 The journalists were criticized for rubbernecking and invading the privacy of the victims.

Examples of rubberneck in a Sentence

formal The traffic jam was caused by rubbernecking drivers slowing down to look at the accident.

informal Don't be a rubberneck and hold up traffic by staring at the accident.

slang Stop rubbernecking and just keep driving!

figurative She couldn't help but rubberneck at the drama unfolding in front of her.

Grammatical Forms of rubberneck

past tense

rubbernecked

plural

rubbernecks

comparative

more rubberneck

superlative

most rubberneck

present tense

rubberneck

future tense

will rubberneck

perfect tense

have rubbernecked

continuous tense

is rubbernecking

singular

rubberneck

positive degree

rubberneck

infinitive

to rubberneck

gerund

rubbernecking

participle

rubbernecked

Origin and Evolution of rubberneck

First Known Use: 1907 year
Language of Origin: American English
Story behind the word: The term 'rubberneck' originated in the United States in the early 20th century.
Evolution of the word: Originally used to describe someone who craned their neck to look around, especially in a nosy or intrusive manner, the term 'rubberneck' has evolved to also refer to someone who stares or gawks at something in a curious or fascinated way.