Link Centre Dictionary

ruffle

UK/ˈɹʌfəl/ US/ˈrʌfʌl/ uncommon
verb (9) noun (3)

verb

1.

stir up (water) so as to form ripples

Synonyms
2.

trouble or vex

  • “ruffle somebody”
3.

to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others

  • “He struts around like a rooster in a hen house”
Synonyms
4.

discompose

  • “This play is going to ruffle some people”
  • “She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues”
5.

twitch or flutter

  • “the paper flicked”
Synonyms
6.

mix so as to make a random order or arrangement

  • “shuffle the cards”
Synonyms
7.

erect or fluff up

  • “the bird ruffled its feathers”
Synonyms
8.

disturb the smoothness of

  • “ruffle the surface of the water”
Synonyms
9.

pleat or gather into a ruffle

  • “ruffle the curtain fabric”
Synonyms

noun

1.
2.
3.

Origin

From Middle English ruffelen, perhaps from Old Norse hrufla (“to graze, scratch”) or Middle Low German ruffelen (“to wrinkle, curl”). Further origin unknown. Related to Middle Dutch ruyffelen, German Low German ruffeln. See English ruff.

Phrases

  • bed ruffle
  • dust ruffle
  • ruffle a few feathers
  • ruffle any feathers
  • ruffle feathers
  • ruffle some feathers
  • ruffle someone's feathers
  • ruffle up

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.