as in raffish
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruffianly
Adjective
-
Slain Supervisor Harvey Milk is raffish in his bust, tossing his head back with his necktie askance — the image is taken from a famous Dan Niccoleto photograph in front of the Castro Camera store.—
J.K. Dineen,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Dec. 2025 -
Three or four decades ago, the newspaperman was appealingly raffish—at once a bum who drank too much and a knight-errant who charged unafraid at social injustice, succored the weak, and crossed lances with the powerful and arrogant.—
David Wingrave,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His current work is less abrasive, more reggae-themed than riotous.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
4 Apr. 2026
-
The hillside behind her was sprinkled with desert golds, but the display fell short of the riotous eruption of flowers posted on social media.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Assad’s 5 2/3 shutout innings in a 9-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays earned an ovation from the boisterous Cubs fans who filled the ballpark.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
This affords it plenty of privacy despite the windows on all sides, with the only immediate neighbors being a boisterous bunch of alpacas, goats, chicken, and cows.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By night, the vibe is more adults-only, with rowdy singalongs at the Observation Deck champagne and piano bar, and sultry jazz vibes taking over the interior Living Room common space.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Simpson released the rowdy disco delight Mutiny After Midnight — his second record under his alter ego, Johnny Blue Skies — last month.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
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
Adjective
-
The raucous clip was co-directed by Carpenter and Margaret Qualley, and also co-stars Madelyn Cline.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The show stars Levy and Ortega as Nicky and Morgan, the older children of Laurie Metcalf's Linda, a raucous New Jersey mother running for mayor.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
By all accounts, virality is violent for its subjects, and building a sustainable career from sudden celebrity is a formidable task; any sensible person would be wise to distrust such an instantaneous anointing.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The election comes amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The atmosphere, for a while, was carnivalesque.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Participants take over city streets for a carnivalesque monthly ride, contesting cars’ dominance.—
Livia Gershon,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ruffianly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruffianly. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
