ruffian

[ruhf-ee-uhn, ruhf-yuhn]

noun

1. a tough, lawless person; roughneck; bully.

   Synonyms: blackguard, rogue, knave, tough, brute

adjective

1. Also ruffianly. tough; lawless; brutal.

ruffian

/ ˈrʌfɪən /

noun

1. a violent or lawless person; hoodlum or villain

Other Word Forms

• ruffianly adjective
• ruffianism noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruffian¹

1525–35; < Middle French < Italian ruffiano, perhaps < Langobardic *hruf scurf + Italian -ano -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruffian¹

C16: from Old French rufien , from Italian ruffiano , perhaps related to Langobardic hruf scurf, scabbiness

Example Sentences

“Good Boy,” by Jan Komasa, has an arresting star turn by Anson Boon as a ruffian who gets chained up in a rich family’s cellar until he agrees to behave.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Along came Rodrigo Duterte, a swaggering ruffian from the southern island of Mindanao, whose 1998 psychological assessment concluded he had a “pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights.”

Read more on Salon

The trial heard him described as a "ruffian" and a "street waif" who never stood still.

Read more on BBC

Chickadees may be portrayed as radiating tranquil beauty on holiday cards, but realistically, these loud, round ruffians are tough survivors of harsh winter environments in northern latitudes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In America, he's a ruffian who hunts with a bow and arrow.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• delinquent 
• goon