mafioso
Americannoun
plural
mafiosi, mafiososnoun
Etymology
Origin of mafioso
First recorded in 1870–75; from Sicilian mafiusu “arrogance, bravado,” of disputed origin; perhaps ultimately from Arabic marfūḍ “outcast” (compare archaic Italian malfusso “wretched,” archaic Spanish marfuz “deceitful, rejected”); perhaps ultimately from Arabic mahyāṣ “braggart, show-off”
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.
Gandolfini felt uneasy about the idea of playing mafioso “Sammy the Bull” Gravano in the 1996 HBO movie “Gotti,” but he took the part anyway.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 28, 2025
Messina Denaro was born in the southwestern Sicilian town of Castelvetrano in 1962, the son of a mafioso.
From Reuters • Jan. 16, 2023
In the film, Tony’s mafioso future isn’t yet a foregone conclusion.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 1, 2021
The guy smiled but said nothing, like a mafioso who suspects you’re wearing a wire.
From Washington Post • Jul. 1, 2021
Raymond looked more like a wizened Italian cobbler than an all-powerful mafioso.
From Salon • Jul. 21, 2019
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.
