- raffish
- \ \ see RAFT
Word origins - 2ed. J. Ayto. 2005.
raffish
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Raffish — Raff ish (r[.a]f [i^]sh), a. Resembling, or having the character of, raff, or a raff; worthless; low. [1913 Webster] A sad, raffish, disreputable character. Thackeray. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
raffish — index blatant (obtrusive), caitiff, ignoble Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
raffish — (adj.) disreputable, vulgar, 1801 (first attested in Jane Austen), from raff people, usually of a lower sort (1670s), probably from rif and raf (mid 14c.) everyone, via French or Middle Dutch, ultimately also probably related to Swedish rafs… … Etymology dictionary
raffish — [adj] unmindful of social conventions bohemian*, careless, casual, coarse, dashing, devil may care*, disreputable, fast*, gay, jaunty, rakish, sporty, tasteless, tawdry, unconventional, uncouth, vulgar, wild; concept 401 Ant. behaved, couth,… … New thesaurus
raffish — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ slightly disreputable, especially in an attractive manner. DERIVATIVES raffishly adverb raffishness noun. ORIGIN from RIFF RAFF(Cf. ↑riff raff) … English terms dictionary
raffish — [raf′ish] adj. [ RAFF + ISH] 1. having a carelessly unconventional style or manner; rakish 2. tawdry; vulgar; low raffishly adv. raffishness n … English World dictionary
raffish — [[t]ræ̱fɪʃ[/t]] ADJ GRADED: usu ADJ n Raffish people and places are not very respectable but are attractive and stylish in spite of this. [WRITTEN] He was handsome in a raffish kind of way... The theatre s raffish auditorium recalls an earlier… … English dictionary
raffish — adjective donning a raffish cap her raffish, faithless husband Syn: rakish, unconventional, Bohemian; devil may care, casual, careless; louche, disreputable, dissolute, decadent … Thesaurus of popular words
raffish — raffishly, adv. raffishness, n. /raf ish/, adj. 1. mildly or sometimes engagingly disreputable or nonconformist; rakish: a matinee idol whose raffish offstage behavior amused millions. 2. gaudily vulgar or cheap; tawdry. [1795 1805; RAFF + ISH1]… … Universalium
raffish — raf|fish [ˈræfıʃ] adj literary [Date: 1800 1900; Origin: riffraff] behaving or dressing in way which is not respected by many people but which is still confident and attractive ▪ an interesting character with a raffish air >raffishly adv… … Dictionary of contemporary English
raffish — raff|ish [ ræfıʃ ] adjective MAINLY LITERARY a raffish person behaves in a confident and sometimes slightly shocking way, but in a way that is also attractive … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
