ruffian
Americannoun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ruffian
1525–35; < Middle French < Italian ruffiano, perhaps < Langobardic *hruf scurf + Italian -ano -an
Explanation
A ruffian is a bully, someone who is violent toward others. Maybe they had a bad childhood, or perhaps they like the sound of people in pain. No matter where they come from, ruffians are best avoided. Soccer fans have a reputation for being ruffians. Sure, some are sensitive poetry-reading types, but the ones that get the most attention scream obscenities, break things, and fight each other. Ruffian comes from a Germanic word that literally translates as “scabbiness,” and perhaps ruffians are covered in scabs from all the fights they start. Sometimes a ruffian is a person involved in crime, however, the word is always used to describe someone who’s a cruel, violent jerk.
Vocabulary lists containing ruffian
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 1–7
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Hamilton
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Treasure Island
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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.
The trial heard him described as a "ruffian" and a "street waif" who never stood still.
From BBC ● Jan. 27, 2025
Belisle’s imagined Shiffler is no ruffian, but a well-spoken, humble youth who wants only to care for his family and win the hand of Irene Freeman, a blue-eyed Catholic orphan.
From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2021
Depending on how you feel about such a pretty, pretty actor playing the role of a ruffian with a heart of gold, that might be considered a compliment to his performance.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2019
Old Town Music Hall James Cagney’s knockout performance as a deranged ruffian with a bit of an Oedipus complex ignites director Raoul Walsh’s highly influential 1949 gangster classic White Heat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2018
“It's Katherine, Jane McKeene, and you know that. Never you mind about me, who was that ruffian you were speaking with?”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
