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
  • So did the holdout Grealish tragics; those of us who still cling to the memories of his raffish breakout years.
    — David Ornstein, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of raffish
Adjective
  • The riotous 640-page doorstopper grapples with homophobia then and now, the lingering specter of colonialism, the tumult of the AIDS crisis, and frameworks of power that demand dominance or submission.
    — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Adéla draws from the Britney Spears playbook on the track and ends up with a riotous song destined for Top 40 dominance.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of riotous
Adjective
  • Packed in near the front of the crowded town hall was Cindy Lou Coolich, a boisterous retiree wearing a campaign T-shirt and cowboy hat.
    — Kate Wells, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Elsewhere, Rose, alongside scientist Robert Cunningham (Noah Robbins) and the conference stenographer (Nina Arianda), crashes a boisterous wedding taking place at the hotel.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of boisterous
Adjective
  • There was no doubt about this home run, which went 401 feet and landed in front of the rowdiest, most dedicated section of the stadium bleachers.
    — Nicolas Villamil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Arizona State student section, 12,000 strong and rowdy at kickoff, was down to less than 100 diehards midway through the fourth quarter.
    — Doug Haller, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of rowdy
Adjective
  • One of the biggest pre-carnival fetes on the island, Caribbean Melting Pot at the Carnival Village, features superstar soca acts like Machel Montano and Skinny Fabulous yet still charges under USD $40 a ticket.
    — Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Customers at Starbucks will be introduced to a new interface with a carnival-style wheel.
    — Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
Definition of carnival
Adjective
  • Following the film screening, which earned a raucous applause from attendees (and a standing ovation for its lead actor), Scott encouraged the audience to dance their way out to a song by the late Ethel Merman.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The raucous sell-out crowds transform Chase Center into Ballhalla, which is littered with a sea of violet and creates a strong homecourt advantage for the club.
    — Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of raucous
Adjective
  • France is currently in the throes of another political crisis, with violent student protests now stretching into their third week.
    — Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026
  • The protest was sparked by photos shared on the social media platform Snapchat showing violent messages threatening to rape and kill a female student.
    — Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of violent
Adjective
  • There was something carnivalesque about Marcia’s intellectual riffs.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Overall, there is a driving energy to the album as well as a haunted carnivalesque atmosphere.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 14 Aug. 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 12 Oct. 2026.

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