noun
riffraff
RIFF-raff/rˈɪfrˌæf/
People regarded as disreputable or undesirable.
The onlooker regards the two men shoving each other as riffraff.
Etymology
Stripping and carrying off underlie a paired expression meaning “everything” and “sweepings,” later applied contemptuously to people as society’s supposed refuse. The second element may instead come from raffer, “to snatch, sweep together.”
In context
Julian tells her he saw no reason to waste it on riffraff.
More examples
- The owner calls anyone in torn jeans riffraff.
- She resents being dismissed as riffraff because she is poor.
- The club promises to keep out the riffraff.
Forms
riffraff
Similar words
- rabble
- Emphasizes a disorderly crowd rather than people considered socially inferior.
- undesirables
- Emphasizes that certain people are unwelcome in a place.