English Meaning & Definitions
A violent person, especially one involved in crime; a bully or thug.
- “The city streets were patrolled to protect citizens from the local ruffians.”
- “He was chased out of the tavern by a group of drunken ruffians.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “ruffian”.
Derived from the Middle French 'rufian' (pimp, lecher), which likely stems from the Italian 'ruffiano'. Its ultimate origin is debated, but it is often linked to the Old Italian 'ruffa' (scuffle or quarrel), reflecting the violent and disorderly nature associated with the term.
Think of a 'rough' person; a ruffian is a 'rough-ian' who causes trouble.
Frequently Asked Questions About “ruffian”
1. What is the meaning of “ruffian” in English?
In English, ruffian (noun) is defined as: “A violent person, especially one involved in crime; a bully or thug.”.
2. How do you use “ruffian” in a sentence?
“The city streets were patrolled to protect citizens from the local ruffians.”
3. What are English synonyms of “ruffian”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “ruffian”?
Derived from the Middle French 'rufian' (pimp, lecher), which likely stems from the Italian 'ruffiano'. Its ultimate origin is debated, but it is often linked to the Old Italian 'ruffa' (scuffle or quarrel), reflecting the violent and disorderly nature associated with the term.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
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The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.