riffraff

noun

ˈrif-ˌraf How to pronounce riffraff (audio)
Definition of riffraffnext
1
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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

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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
  1. debris
  2. rabble
  3. garbage
  4. populace
  5. trash
  6. people
  7. dust
  8. public
Noun
  • Construction and demolition debris accounts for half of all the solid waste generated in the city which is roughly about 100,000 to 150,000 tons a year.
    — Anne Makovec, CBS News, 13 Nov. 2026
  • The three-story building at 1321 Flatbush Avenue — with a medical-uniforms store on the ground floor and a three-bedroom apartment above — had indeed fallen, killing eight people and trapping several more in the debris.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of debris
Noun
  • The federal government’s understanding (or misunderstanding, according to bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell) of the 2nd Amendment all begins with the tale of a rabble-rousing 17th century English nobleman.
    — Shelby Hartman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Abdul El-Sayed, a rabble-rousing populist and former public health official, just barely eked out a primary victory Tuesday in Michigan over a centrist rival who was the pick of Washington Democrats to keep a must-hold Senate seat.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of rabble
Noun
  • Store garbage in secure, air-tight containers inside a garage or storage area.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 11 Nov. 2026
  • According to Furkids Animal Rescue and Shelters, the dogs had been living in darkness on floors covered in inches of feces, with dead animals discarded in garbage bags.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of garbage
Noun
  • Paraguay’s president was removed from office and detained after the country’s largest digital bank melted down, leaving half the populace without access to funds and plunging the country into a political crisis.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Ultimately, both experts agreed that public-private partnerships and emerging technology like AI are countries’ best bets at enabling affordable, high-quality healthcare for its populace.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • Nominations for the 69th Grammy Awards will be announced Monday morning, capping a year-long pop-music season in which new stars rose, old hands returned and Taylor Swift dropped a song about Cleveland that even people in Ohio decided was trash.
    — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times, 11 Nov. 2026
  • This year’s event gathered nearly 11,000 pounds of trash, Getz said, and 1,625 volunteers contributed 15,000 volunteer hours.
    — Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 11 Nov. 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
  • Covered in white dust, Hilda walked home and checked in with family, both in the city and her native Dominican Republic.
    — Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The study of these objects, some of the largest structures in the cosmos, can reveal how matter came together across the larger network of gas, dust and dark matter called the cosmic web.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Nov. 2026
Definition of dust
Noun
  • The last of its kind in the country, the event is held twice a year and open to a paying public.
    — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The potential collision point between opposition oversight from Democrats and the Republican president’s preoccupation with the projects was evident in his last message to the American public before the election — and in his first afterward, too.
    — Gary Fields, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of public

Browse Nearby Words

riffling
riffraff
riffs
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Cite this Entry

“Riffraff.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/riffraff. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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