ruffianly

adjective

Definition of ruffianlynext
as in raffish

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffianly
  1. raffish
  2. riotous
  3. boisterous
  4. rowdy
  5. carnival
  6. raucous
  7. violent
  8. carnivalesque
Adjective
  • And then there's a top-of-his-game Chevy Chase as a devil-may-care golfer and Bill Murray as a raffish groundskeeper.
    — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026
  • Kids join academies as raffish improvisors, little bundles of wild ideas and schemes.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 10 June 2026
Definition of raffish
Adjective
  • The joyous if relatively restrained gathering was the culmination of the riotous nationwide celebrations that had broken out on the evening of April 12, when the results of the parliamentary elections came in.
    — Gordon F. Sander, The New York Review of Books, 4 July 2026
  • Guns is an actor and writer, known for her razor-sharp observations and riotous voice.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
Definition of riotous
Adjective
  • On July 8, Hancock read the text to a large and boisterous crowd in Philadelphia.
    — Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 July 2026
  • My family had a boisterous rescue dog, who was full-grown but often acted like a puppy.
    — Deborah Mower, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of boisterous
Adjective
  • To this point, those celebrations have been rowdy but civil, with rival fan bases showing respect to one another in these moments of soccer-loving unity.
    — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 July 2026
  • The 45-second clip features Oasis’ rowdy crowds and hints at rehearsal footage as Noel and Liam Gallagher talk about their reunion years after Oasis’ acrimonious breakup.
    — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 4 July 2026
Definition of rowdy
Adjective
  • Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
  • Transform your salad spinner into a carnival-style spin art machine.
    — Lauren Piro, Good Housekeeping, 31 Oct. 2022
Definition of carnival
Adjective
  • England endured a raucous crowd at Estadio Azteca to beat Mexico in a round-of-16 thriller but lost veteran midfielder Jordan Henderson to a wrist injury from a postgame celebration.
    — Stephen Whyno, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026
  • So Monday night could potentially bring a rematch of Schwarber versus Harper in front of a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd.
    — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • When a violent robbery occurred at a Waterford bank in January 2025, local police faced the difficult task of identifying and locating the suspects.
    — State Rep. Greg Howard, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
  • The protest turned violent, with some hurling Molotov cocktails into the bank.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • In Trinidad, which has a sizable population of Indian-origin immigrants, there is a local carnivalesque form of the holiday called Hosay.
    — Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 May 2026
  • The atmosphere, for a while, was carnivalesque.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of carnivalesque
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Ruffianly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffianly. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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