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ruffian. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
ruffian, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
ruffian in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
ruffian you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle French rufian, from Italian ruffiano (“pimp”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈɹʌfi.ən/
- Hyphenation: ruf‧fi‧an
Noun
ruffian (plural ruffians)
- A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person.
- Synonyms: rogue, scamp; see also Thesaurus:troublemaker
1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 145, column 1:What wilt thou on thy death-bed play the Ruffian?
1894, George du Maurier, “Part Fifth: Little Billee: An Interlude”, in Trilby: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 259:It was at Count Siloszech's. He'd heard her sing in the streets, with a tall, black-bearded ruffian, who accompanied her on a guitar, and a little fiddling gypsy fellow. She was a handsome woman, with hair down to her knees, but stupid as an owl.
- (obsolete) A pimp; a pander.
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:pimp
- (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
scoundrel, rascal
- Bulgarian: грубиян (bg) m (grubijan), хулиган (bg) m (huligan)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 痞子 (zh) (pǐzi)
- Dutch: schelm (nl) m, schurk (nl) m
- Finnish: räyhääjä (fi), öykkäri (fi), rettelöijä (fi)
- French: rufian (fr), voyou (fr), brute (fr)
- Galician: bagaxeiro m, mandito m, arrufado m, arrufainado m, gallofo m, francante m, moinante (gl) m
- German: Raubein (de) n
- Greek: κακούργος (el) m (kakoúrgos)
- Irish: ruifíneach m, bithiúnach m
- Italian: facinoroso (it) m
- Khmer: អ្នកលេងកាប់ចាក់ (neak leeŋ kap cak)
- Macedonian: грубијан m (grubijan)
- Norwegian: bølle
- Plautdietsch: Ruchull m
- Polish: artysta (pl) m, artystka (pl) f
- Portuguese: rufião (pt) m
- Russian: негодя́й (ru) m (negodjáj), хулига́н (ru) m (xuligán), буя́н (ru) m (buján)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: грубѝја̄н m, силѐџија m
- Roman: grubìjān (sh) m, silèdžija (sh) m
- Slovene: please add this translation if you can
- Spanish: rufián (es) m
- Swedish: skurk (sv) c, rackare (sv) c, slyngel (sv) c, lymmel (sv) c
- Yiddish: כוליגאַן m (khuligan)
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Verb
ruffian (third-person singular simple present ruffians, present participle ruffianing, simple past and past participle ruffianed)
- To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :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)
- Brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous.
ruffian rage
Anagrams
French
Pronunciation
Noun
ruffian m (plural ruffians)
- Alternative spelling of rufian
Further reading