noun
ruffian
RUH-fee-uhn
noun
1
A violent, lawless, or thuggish person.
"A gang of ruffians harassed shopkeepers along the street."
"He was dismissed as a ruffian, though he later proved surprisingly gentle."
How to Use Ruffian
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA rough, aggressive troublemaker — someone who behaves like a thug.
When to use it
Slightly old-fashioned or literary; modern speech tends to use "thug" or "hooligan" instead.
Common pairings
a band of ruffians
act like a ruffian
Word Forms
more ruffian comparative, ruffianed past tense, ruffians plural, ruffians singular, most ruffian superlative
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Etymology
From French rufian, borrowed from Italian ruffiano, originally meaning "pimp."