riffraff
Học thuậtThân thiện
A well-dressed gentleman looks down his nose at the riffraff outside his carriage.
Definition
Noun: - People regarded as disreputable or worthless: A disparaging term referring to people considered to be of low social status, bad character, or little value. It implies a contemptuous view of a group as being the dregs or undesirable elements of society.
Usage
The word "riffraff" is used as a collective noun, typically with a singular verb, to refer to a group of people looked down upon. It is inherently negative and judgmental. - The exclusive club had a strict door policy to keep out the riffraff. - He believed the protest was just stirred up by the local riffraff.
Advanced Usage
- The riffraff: Often used with the definite article "the" to generalize and refer to such a group as a single entity.
- The festival was ruined once the riffraff showed up and started causing trouble.
Variants and Related Words
- Riff-raff: An alternative hyphenated spelling of the same word.
- Rabble (noun): A disorderly crowd, a mob; often used similarly to express contempt for a common crowd.
- Hoi polloi (noun): (From Greek) The masses, the common people. While sometimes used neutrally, it can carry a similar disparaging tone as "riffraff."
Synonyms
- Rabble
- The masses (often disparaging)
- The great unwashed (idiomatic and disparaging)
- Plebeians (historical, but can be used disparagingly)
- Scum (stronger, more offensive)
Antonyms
- Elite
- Aristocracy
- Gentry
- Upper crust (idiomatic)
Idioms and Phrases
- To keep the riffraff out: To prevent undesirable people from entering a place or group.
- The high membership fee is just a way to keep the riffraff out.
A well-dressed gentleman looks down his nose at the riffraff outside his carriage.
Noun
- disparaging terms for the common people