Jazz. a melodic phrase, often constantly repeated, forming an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist.
a new variation on or a different manifestation of an existing thing or idea (often followed byon ).
This is an eco-conscious riff on the study-abroad experience.
Jazz. to perform a repeated melodic phrase, forming an accompaniment for a soloist.
to experiment with a thing or idea, making changes that create a new and novel version of it (often followed byon ).
My partner likes to let his ideas quietly simmer, but I prefer to riff on mine in conversations where I can bounce my thoughts off other people.
to create, write, or perform something, like a comedy routine, using a common or known point of departure and following a previously unexplored tangent from that known point to a fresh or humorous perspective (often followed by on oroff ).
My act riffs off famous love stories and adds modern feminist elements to unmask the absurdity of “happily ever after” in fairy tales.
(intr) to play or perform riffs in jazz or rock music
informal to speak amusingly or make (amusing comments or remarks)
First recorded in 1930–35; perhaps alteration and shortening of refrain 2
A riff is a short section of music, especially in jazz. When you're first learning to play the saxophone, you may just play the same riff over and over. When one jazz musician in a band is improvising, the others are typically playing riffs in the background. Sometimes a riff introduces the start of a song or its chorus. To play this section is also to riff, and you can also talk about improvised speech using riff: "The stand-up comic decided to riff on the subject of his mom, since it was the only joke that was getting any laughs."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“I was immediately caught by the simple but hooky straightforward guitar riff, and ripping drums holding it down,” Dragge says.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026
"You need a dance licence, I have to be strict about that," he declares over a low-slung bass riff.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
In a quiet riposte to this, the king in his speech to Congress will riff on past military endeavors the two countries have undertaken and the sacrifice both nations have made.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
A maximalist, grown-up riff on seven-layer dip: smoky chorizo, creamy beans, sweet corn and tangy crema stacked into something closer to a full meal than a snack.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
Summoning up her courage, Shanti sang an Eastern-influenced riff and broke into a rap about living on an island, eating grubs, rescuing pirates, and eating weird berries.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
