1
: an ostinato phrase (as in jazz) typically supporting a solo improvisation
also
: a piece based on such a phrase
2
: a rapid energetic often improvised verbal outpouring
especially
: one that is part of a comic performance
3
: a succinct usually witty comment
4
: a distinct variation : take
a disturbing … riff on the Cinderella story—
Daria Donnelly
Daria Donnelly
riffed; riffing; riffs
: to perform, deliver, or make use of a riff
Examples of riff in a Sentence
Noun
He stole that riff from another song.
a mock news program with humorous riffs on current events
Recent Examples on the Web
Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Never Enough mixes ethereal pop, Police-infused New Wave, and chainsaw riffs, all of it elevating Turnstile’s melodic sound to greater heights.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Alchemist gives Gibbs his space to riff, but knows when to interject and add on to the conversation.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
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Noun
The band’s signature battering riffs and Lindberg’s screeching vocals have become synonymous with the extreme metal genre.
—Quentin Thane Singer, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Never Enough mixes ethereal pop, Police-infused New Wave, and chainsaw riffs, all of it elevating Turnstile’s melodic sound to greater heights.
—Daniel Kohn, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
The latter riffs mythopoetically on the region’s aerospace industry, and the former features an anthropology of our freeways any native Angeleno could get behind.
—John Lopez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Alchemist gives Gibbs his space to riff, but knows when to interject and add on to the conversation.
—Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 6 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for riff
Cite this Entry
“Riff.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/riff. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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