Ruffian

//ˈɹʌfi.ən// adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person.

    "What wilt thou on thy death-bed play the Ruffian?"

  2. 2
    a cruel and brutal fellow wordnet
  3. 3
    A pimp; a pander. obsolete
  4. 4
    A lover; a paramour. obsolete

    "He [her husband] is no sooner abroad than she is instantly at home, revelling with her ruffians."

Verb
  1. 1
    To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult.

    "Methinks the wind does speak aloud at land; A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements. If it hath ruffianed so upon the sea."

Adjective
  1. 1
    Brutal, cruel, ruffianlike.

    "ruffian rage"

Synonyms

All synonyms
bullybullyhooliganroguerowdyscamp

Example

More examples

"What wilt thou on thy death-bed play the Ruffian?"

Etymology

From Middle French rufian, from Italian ruffiano (“pimp”).

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.