raffish

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. adjective marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
  2. adjective marked by a carefree unconventionality or disreputableness; - Crary Moore

Etymology

From late 18th century raff (“persons among the lowest class in society”) + -ish, still retained in contemporary English with riffraff. From Old French raffer (“to wear away”), of Germanic origin. Compare German raffen. Compare rip (“to tear”), rap (“to snatch”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

dapper, dashing, jaunty, natty, rakish, spiffy, snappy, spruce

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading