Meaning & use

riffraff

noun·Advanced

People considered disreputable, worthless, or of low social standing, viewed collectively.

See it in a sentence

The bouncer was told to keep the riffraff from crowding the private entrance.

Locals complained that the new bar attracted riffraff from outside the neighborhood.

A note on using this word

Riffraff is dismissive and judgmental, so it usually appears in the voice of someone looking down on a group.

Words with a similar meaning

rabblehooligans

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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