ruffian

[ ruhf-ee-uhn, ruhf-yuhn ]

/ ˈrʌf i ən, ˈrʌf yən /

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noun

a tough, lawless person; roughneck; bully.

adjective

Also ruf·fi·an·ly. tough; lawless; brutal.

OTHER WORDS FOR ruffian

1 brute, tough, knave, rogue, blackguard.

See synonyms for ruffian on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CUDDLE UP! A COZY QUIZ ON FALL WORDS HAS ARRIVED

If autumn is your ideal season, spice up your repertoire of "fall" vocabulary with this quiz on some warm and vivid descriptive words for the season.

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following words means “to make a crackling sound; crackle”?

crisp

crepitate

fuscous

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Origin of ruffian

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

Words nearby ruffian

rufescent, ruff, ruffe, ruffed, ruffed grouse, ruffian, ruffianism, Ruffini's corpuscle, ruffle, ruffled, ruffler

How to use ruffian in a sentence

The mercenary, ruffian crew Marsac recruits for assistance is clearly not to be trusted.
Flashing blades, secret passages, mistaken identities: ‘A Gentleman of France’ is a classic adventure tale|Michael Dirda|September 1, 2021|Washington Post
As a boy, he admired the hoodlums and ruffians he saw on the streets.
The Mobster Who Brought Armenia and Azerbaijan Together … in Death|Fiona Zublin|October 9, 2020|Ozy
We know the governor, despite his popularity and his toe-dips into bipartisanship, has a reputation as a ruffian.
Is Chris Christie from Jersey or Jupiter?|Kevin Bleyer|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course I had to satisfy the ruffian's insolent demands, but I did so under protest.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The ruffian released him at last, and, leaping to his feet, was gone before Rabecque could rise.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Up the slope they dashed, and past the place where Matt and Clip had had their encounter with Jem and the other ruffian.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run|Stanley R. Matthews
It was hard work to keep his hands off the ruffian who was one of the main causes of the trouble.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
At length one bold ruffian came near her, but was struck dead at her feet by a thunderbolt.
Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls|Various

British Dictionary definitions for ruffian

ruffian

/ (ˈrʌfɪən) /

noun

a violent or lawless person; hoodlum or villain

Derived forms of ruffian

ruffianism, nounruffianly, adjective

Word Origin for ruffian

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

ruffian

OTHER WORDS FOR ruffian

Origin of ruffian

Words nearby ruffian

Words related to ruffian

How to use ruffian in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ruffian

Derived forms of ruffian

Word Origin for ruffian