RIFFRAFFS Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

riffraff

noun

ˈrif-ˌraf

Definition of riffraff

as in debris

discarded or useless material the sight of piles and piles of riffraff at the town dump was a sobering reminder that we are indeed a society of consumers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in rabble

people looked down upon as ignorant and of the lowest class local ordinances that are intended to keep the riffraff out of the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 riffraff Lawyers, journalists and similar riffraff congregated at lunch or after work, and Vincent worked the room, table-hopping with jokes or movie reviews or tales from his latest intriguing trip. — Neal Rubin, Detroit Free Press, 8 Sep. 2024 The bar’s owner, Frankie (a spirited Jessica Williams), has hired Dalton to purge the riffraff, the better to realize her dream of making the Road House a respectable joint worthy of destination weddings and romantic getaways. — Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Bypass the riffraff and turn your ideas into something concrete. — Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2024 William is ready for the task and has no intention of being killed by rebels or any other riffraff in the forests of Virginia. — Lincee Ray, EW.com, 8 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for riffraff

Recent Examples of Synonyms for riffraff

Noun

Surveillance footage obtained by The News shows the explosion erupting on the building’s second floor, sending glass and other debris rocketing across the street.

— Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
The update was published 10 weeks after the hot fire test anomaly, and in parallel Blue Origin has rapidly been working to clear debris around the sprawling Launch Complex 36-A site in Florida and starting to rebuild a launch tower.

— Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of debris

Noun

Their tardiness, which saw the start delayed by half an hour, was continued on the field with India looking like a rabble in the face of the onslaught from Buttler and Brook.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 12 July 2026
At the same time, Democratic leaders, backed by a rabble, stormed City Hall and seized control of the local government.

— Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026

Definition of rabble

Noun

Unlike Lake Michigan, debris and garbage settle along the riverbed and near the banks, forcing divers to search through sediment and obstacles while currents continue to move beneath the surface.

— Darius Johnson, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026
Residents are encouraged to use bear-resistant containers with lids latched, store garbage in a garage or shed until collection day, and put cans at the curb the morning of pickup rather than the night before.

— Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of garbage

Noun

This is where the irrationality of antisemitic conspiracy gains no purchase among a reasoning and pragmatic populace; where government is led by people who grasp, and embrace, the seriousness of their responsibilities.

— Rory Lancman, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026
Since the 1700s, Jamaica’s populace has been dominated by the descendants of African slaves.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of populace

Noun

Or the convention center in Christchurch that became carbon zero because one young staffer started auditing the trash bins.

— Christopher Elliott, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
In The Athletic’s anonymous annual player poll, he has been voted the NFL’s biggest trash talker and most annoying player.

— Tim Graham, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of trash

Noun

Another 13 people were wounded on downtown Sacramento’s K Street and 10th Street, in what became the deadliest mass shooting in the city’s history.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 19 June 2026
Organizers say more than 125,000 people are expected throughout the event, bringing in millions of dollars for the local economy.

— Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 June 2026

Definition of people

Noun

Emory University’s Salamova, who studies indoor exposure, found levels of QACs in dust in daycare and assisted living care facilities to be about three times higher than in residential homes.

— Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2026
Korean lunar orbiter spots Falcon 9 crash site The collision was expected to create a crater about 60 feet wide and 12 feet deep and throw a plume of dust and rock outward into the air.

— Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of dust

Noun

Its nod to the heat, humidity and congestion of summer days, and to the cool air, darkness and freedom of summer nights emotionally resonated with the music-buying public.

— Michael Peregrine, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Ween released 12 Golden Country Greats in the summer of 1996 to a public primed for a prank.

— Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of public

Browse Nearby Words

riffling

riffraff

riffs

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Style

“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of riffraff

noun

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