different between ruffian vs riffraff

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???fi.?n/
• Hyphenation: ruf?fi?an

Noun

ruffian (plural ruffians)

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

   Synonyms: rogue, scamp; see also Thesaurus:troublemaker
2. (obsolete) A pimp; a pander.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:pimp

3. (obsolete) A lover; a paramour.
   • 1621, John Reynolds, The Triumphs of God's Revenge against the crying and execrable Sinne of Murther

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

Translations

Verb

ruffian (third-person singular simple present ruffians, present participle ruffianing, simple past and past participle ruffianed)

1. To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult.
   • 1603, Shakespeare, Othello, Act II, Scene I

     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

ruffian (comparative more ruffian, superlative most ruffian)

1. Brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous.

   ruffian rage

Anagrams

• funfair

French

Noun

ruffian m (plural ruffians)

1. Alternative spelling of rufian
   • 1943, Jean Ray, Malpertuis, 1978 ed., p. 8

     Il n'y a que la fortune pour faire d'un ruffian un honnête homme, soumis aux lois humaines.

Further reading

• “ruffian” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Alternative forms

• riff-raff

Etymology

From Old French rif et raf (“one and all”), of Germanic origin. The first word is from rifler (“to scrape off”) and the last is from raffler, related to rafler (“to plunder”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???f?æf/

Noun

riffraff (usually uncountable, plural riffraffs)

1. The rabble; crowds; the common people.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:commonalty
2. Sweepings; refuse.

Derived terms

• riffraffish

Translations

Further reading

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.