adj
Meaning 1
Brutal, cruel, ruffianlike.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
- ruffian rage
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
ruffian
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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/ˈɹʌfi.ən/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
noun
Meaning 2
A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: rogue, scamp, agitator, bad boy, bad news, bear, beggar, bhoy, blackguard, booger, boot boy, bovver boy, brat, brawler, breedbate, buffoon, bugger, bully, charva, cutup, devil, elf, enfant terrible, firebrand, gadfly, hell-raiser, hood, hoodlum, hool, hoolie, hooligan, hothead, imp, inciter, initiator, instigator, jackanapes, joker, jokester, kindle-coal, kindle-fire, knave, lout, makebate, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant, ne'er-do-well, pixie, pot stirrer, practical joker, prankster, puck, punk, rabble rouser, rakeshame, rantipole, rapscallion, rascal, roly-poly, rowdy, ruffian, scapegrace, scoundrel, shit disturber, shitmonger, shit-stirrer, tearaway, thug, titivil, tough, troublemaker, undesirable, vandal, wag, wagpastie, wrangler, yob, yobbo
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A pimp; a pander.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: abbot, bludger, bully, cock-bawd, dalaal, fishmonger, flashman, fleshmonger, hoon, hustler, mackerel, mack, mack daddy, muttonmonger, nookie-bookie, pandar, pimp, pussymonger, ruffian, souteneur, sweetman, whoreman, whoremaster, whoremonger
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A lover; a paramour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
a cruel and brutal fellow
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bully, tough, hooligan, roughneck, rowdy, yob, yobo, yobbo
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: attacker, aggressor, assailant, assaulter
Narrower terms: bullyboy, muscleman, muscle, skinhead, tough guy, plug-ugly
History
Etymology
From Middle French rufian, from Italian ruffiano (“pimp”).
Across languages
Translations
51 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Bulgarian: грубиян (grubijan) — scoundrel, rascal
- Bulgarian: хулиган (huligan) — scoundrel, rascal
- Chinese Mandarin: 痞子 (pǐzi) — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: surovec — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: rváč — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: darebák — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: lotr — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: ničema — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: násilník — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: gauner — scoundrel, rascal
- Czech: chuligán — scoundrel, rascal
- Dutch: schelm — scoundrel, rascal
- Dutch: schurk — scoundrel, rascal
- Finnish: räyhääjä — scoundrel, rascal
- Finnish: öykkäri — scoundrel, rascal
- Finnish: rettelöijä — scoundrel, rascal
- French: rufian — scoundrel, rascal
- French: voyou — scoundrel, rascal
- French: brute — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: bagaxeiro — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: mandito — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: arrufado — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: arrufainado — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: gallofo — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: francante — scoundrel, rascal
- Galician: moinante — scoundrel, rascal
- German: Raubein — scoundrel, rascal
- Greek: κακούργος (kakoúrgos) — scoundrel, rascal
- Irish: ruifíneach — scoundrel, rascal
- Irish: bithiúnach — scoundrel, rascal
- Italian: facinoroso — scoundrel, rascal
- Khmer: អ្នកលេងកាប់ចាក់ (neak leeŋ kap cak) — scoundrel, rascal
- Macedonian: грубијан (grubijan) — scoundrel, rascal
- Norwegian: bølle — scoundrel, rascal
- Plautdietsch: Ruchull — scoundrel, rascal
- Polish: artysta — scoundrel, rascal
- Polish: artystka — scoundrel, rascal
- Portuguese: rufião — scoundrel, rascal
- Russian: негодя́й (negodjáj) — scoundrel, rascal
- Russian: хулига́н (xuligán) — scoundrel, rascal
- Russian: буя́н (buján) — scoundrel, rascal
- Serbo-Croatian: грубѝја̄н — scoundrel, rascal
- Serbo-Croatian: силѐџија — scoundrel, rascal
- Serbo-Croatian: grubìjān — scoundrel, rascal
- Serbo-Croatian: silèdžija — scoundrel, rascal
- Spanish: rufián — scoundrel, rascal
- Swedish: skurk — scoundrel, rascal
- Swedish: rackare — scoundrel, rascal
- Swedish: slyngel — scoundrel, rascal
- Swedish: lymmel — scoundrel, rascal
- Yiddish: כוליגאַן (khuligan) — scoundrel, rascal