Riff

¹

[rif]

noun

plural

Riffs, Riffi ,

plural

Riff .

1. a member of the Berber people living in Er Rif in northern Morocco.

2. Er Rif.

riff

²

[rif]

noun

1. Jazz.,  a melodic phrase, often constantly repeated, forming an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist.

2. 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.

verb (used without object)

1. Jazz.,  to perform a repeated melodic phrase, forming an accompaniment for a soloist.

2. 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.

3. 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.

riff

/ rɪf /

noun

1. (in jazz or rock music) a short series of chords

verb

1. (intr) to play or perform riffs in jazz or rock music

2. informal,  to speak amusingly or make (amusing comments or remarks)

Other Word Forms

• Riffian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Riff¹

First recorded in 1930–35; perhaps alteration and shortening of refrain ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of Riff¹

C20: probably altered and shortened from _refrain ²

Example Sentences

Which is how Gaffigan ended up riffing on “unicorns” and “the decidedly divorced-dad energy” of liquor stores for 45 minutes on YouTube, where he recently self-released “The Bourbon Set” for free.

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Bored out of their minds, they riff on customers and even play hockey to pass the time.

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At a crypto event in June, a video that riffed on an old movie showed Tenev speeding through the French Riviera in a convertible.

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Fast-casual chain Shake Shack’s new Big Shack burger, an unmistakable riff on the Big Mac, is sending the internet into a frenzy.

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The “ghosted” trend feeds on all those dynamics—along with TikTokers’ penchant for riffing on other users’ content.

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Related Words

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