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raffish

adjective

ˈra-fish How to pronounce raffish (audio)
Definition of raffishnext
as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste the dowager cringed at the thought of raffish tourists in rough boots tromping all over her Persian rugs

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of raffish Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant. — David Wingrave, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025 A little lowly courier work, yes, but nothing more raffish than that. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 The banal village tunes that Mahler altered into sinister mock vulgarities—did these not recall the raffish klezmer bands, the wandering musicians who played at shtetl weddings? — David Denby, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025 There’s an over-the-top and overdressed fish out of water (me), a raffish Englishmen homesick for Great Britain (my husband Aidan, who will be mortified to read any of this), and an ensemble of quirky characters. — Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for raffish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raffish
  1. crass
  2. vulgar
  3. rude
  4. coarse
  5. common
Adjective
  • Murdoch is thick-skinned and accustomed to being underestimated by the condescending Brits, who see him as a crass interloper.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The vulnerability, the crass graffiti, the (lack of) cleanliness, uncomfortable toilet seats—the list of reasons is lengthy.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of crass
Adjective
  • Despite their pointy protrusions, the sculptures are not spiky enough to leave a mark; and despite their flirtations with touchy subject matter, none of the works—not even the 9/11 ones—are vulgar enough to get Wolfson in hot water.
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But Trump’s obsession with these vulgar memorials to his own vanity is a reminder of the darkness around him, of his hostility to democracy, his loathing of honor, and his disordered mind.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of vulgar
Adjective
  • But the Chargers’ new offensive coordinator knows his unit must show urgency and improvement Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders after a rude wake-up call in the season opener.
    — Joaquin Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Sanders would go so far as to kick out rude guests, former employees said.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of rude
Adjective
  • So that’s one of the things is from a coarse grain scale, the wave-like pattern goes away.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The spray also helps eliminate frizz and resist humidity, so coarse hair looks polished rather than puffy after styling.
    — Polly Blitzer, Glamour, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of coarse
Adjective
  • The vaccine is licensed for use against Ebola virus disease caused by the Zaire strain -- a different, more common type of Ebola virus.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Since sucking betel nuts is not common today, Brumm partnered with Professor Roger Papke, a neuropharmacological researcher at the University of Florida, to test whether the action could cause a drug effect ancient humans may have desired.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of common

Browse Nearby Words

radius
raffish
raffishness
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Cite this Entry

“Raffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raffish. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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