as in thug
a violent, brutal person who is often a member of an organized gang
a gang of ruffians preying upon people who ventured into that section of town
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruffian
Friends and neighbors worried that these rumors could attract dangerous young ruffians who might harm them and steal the money.
—
Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Then again, the fight scene did that on its own, sounding more refined than ruffian.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
And then there was Post Malone, the rapping, rocking everyman who has replaced Kid Rock as America’s favorite ruffian.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 15 Dec. 2024
Then again, the fight scene did that on its own, sounding more refined than ruffian.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2024
Troy Stecher is a puck-mover with some two-way ability but is not considered a ruffian in the corners and in front of the net.
—Allan Mitchell, The Athletic, 9 Aug. 2024
And then there was Post Malone, the rapping, rocking everyman who has replaced Kid Rock as America’s favorite ruffian.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for ruffian
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffian
Noun
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The fact that this racist thug has been handed policing power by Netanyahu says more about the state of Israel’s democracy and political values—and in particular about the prime minister’s values—than many Israelis might like to admit.—
Avi Issacharoff,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
-
White thugs destroyed it in the 1921 Race Massacre.—
Jasmine Desiree,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
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The iconic villain, portrayed by Robert Mitchum in 1962’s Cape Fear and by Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese’s 1991 version, is back on screen in the new Apple TV adaptation.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
3 June 2026
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Dead-end conflict is where the hero and the villain, the good guys and the bad guys, essentially never have any opportunity for movement or reconciliation at the end of the story.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Russian athletes are routinely asked to answer for the actions of their government, yet athletes from other countries are rarely subjected to the same scrutiny or treated as though they are personally aligned with war criminals or dictators.—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
7 June 2026
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Rafay Baloch, a cybersecurity expert and author of the book Web Hacking Arsenal, says that criminals specifically look for travelers who appear disoriented.—
Christopher Elliott,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Re-blockade will now happen at bandit camps and ruins.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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And what gives her purpose is meeting Ruthye, who’s also endured tragedy, and wants to avenge her family’s death at the hands of the bandit Krem of the Yellow Hills (Matthias Schoenaerts).—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
20 May 2026
Noun
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One of the most innovative gangsters of the 20th century, Frank Lucas earned the title of Harlem drug kingpin in the late-‘60s and early-‘70s by importing high-quality heroin from Southeast Asia and selling it under the street name Blue Magic.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
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Sensing this once-great dynasty is in decline, the outback’s most powerful factions — rival cattle barons, desert gangsters, Indigenous elders, and billionaire miners — move in for the kill, with billions of dollars at stake.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The business will start with six rooms featuring themes like a haunted house, murder mansion, pirate’s cruise and jungle explorer.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
5 June 2026
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After the Revolutionary War, the United States maintained no standing fleet, but attacks by the Barbary pirates—corsairs based in North Africa who preyed on American merchant ships and took sailors ransom—drove Congress to reestablish a navy in the 1790s.—
David A. Graham,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Noun
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The bombshells, Gabriel from Brazil and Kayda from New Hampshire, arrive like sexy assassins and silently start making out with everyone standing on a red dot.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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His legacy as one of rap’s great subliminal assassins is one of the most impressive parts of his career.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Noun
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Swenson says that cable actually belongs to AT&T, and was cut down from telephone poles by thieves.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
3 June 2026
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Surveillance video shows thieves going into a Twin Cities building, then coming out with a cart full of art.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruffian.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffian. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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