What does "scuffle" mean?
A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
Scuffle
/ˈskʌfəl/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
- Grammar: scuffle is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: scramble, tussle, action, aerial combat.
- Useful contrasts: avoid, calm, cooperation.
- Usage evidence: There was a scuffle in front of the store when the new product was released.
How to use "scuffle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "scuffle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "scuffle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "scuffle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "scuffle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "scuffle" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "scramble" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "scuffle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A rough, disorderly fight or struggle at close quarters.
"The Dog leaps upon the Serpent, and Tears it to Pieces; but in the Scuffle the Cradle happen'd to be Overturn'd: […]"
- 2 A type of hoe, manipulated by both pushing and pulling, with a sharp blade parallel with the worked surface; an instance of this type.
"Near-synonyms: collinear hoe, collineal hoe (loosely synonymous)"
- 3 an unceremonious and disorganized struggle wordnet
- 4 Poverty; struggle. slang
"But even on the scuffle / The cleaner's press was in my jeans"
- 5 disorderly fighting wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A child's pinafore or bib. archaic
- 7 a hoe that is used by pushing rather than pulling wordnet
Verb
- 1 To fight or struggle confusedly at close quarters. intransitive
"Certainly a gallant man had rather fight to great diſadvantages for number and place in the field in an orderly way, then ſcuffle with an undiſciplined rabble."
- 2 To work the soil surface for weeding, etc.
"Near-synonyms: (sometimes synonymous) scarify, cultivate, grub; weed"
- 3 fight or struggle in a confused way at close quarters wordnet
- 4 To walk with a shuffling gait. intransitive
"But shiftings and readjustments ensued, as they are sure to do with a walking-party. Cope presently found himself scuffling through the thin grass and the briery thickets alongside the young business-man."
- 5 walk by dragging one's feet wordnet
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To make a living with difficulty, getting by on a low income, to struggle financially. slang
"Once a good friend of mine, a fine hoofer who was having trouble getting bookings, ran up to that tree, gave it a big smack, and yelled “Lawd please make me a pimp, any kind of a pimp, long as I’m pimpin’. I’m tired of scufflin’ and my feet are too long outa work.”"
Antonyms
Example
"There was a scuffle in front of the store when the new product was released."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "scuffle"?
Common synonyms include: scramble, tussle, action, aerial combat, affray, agonize.
How do you use "scuffle" in a sentence?
There was a scuffle in front of the store when the new product was released.
How do you pronounce "scuffle"?
Pronounced /ˈskʌfəl/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Possibly of North Germanic/Scandinavian origin; compare Swedish skuff (“a push”) and skuffa (“to push”), from the Proto-Germanic base *skuf- (skuƀ), from Proto-Indo-European *skewbʰ-, see also Lithuanian skùbti (“to hurry”), Polish skubać (“to pluck”), Albanian humb (“to lose”).
Etymology 2
The noun is a borrowing from Dutch schoffel; the English verb arose via subsequent verbification within English but is also parallel with Dutch schoffelen.