ruffled; ruffling
ˈrə-f(ə-)liŋ 
2
: to erect in or like a ruff : to cause to rise or bristle
a bird ruffling its feathers
3
a
: to flip through
ruffle the pages of a book
b
: shuffle
4
: to make into a ruffle
: to become ruffled
their dispositions ruffle perceptibly—
Life
Life2
: a state or cause of irritation
3
a
: a strip of fabric gathered or pleated on one edge
4
: an unevenness or disturbance of surface : ripple
: a low vibrating drumbeat less loud than a roll
Synonyms
Examples of ruffle in a Sentence
Verb
Her hair was ruffled by the wind.
He ruffled some people with his constant complaining.
Recent Examples on the WebClara McMahon, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
When designing balloon sleeves and ruffled collars for Bella, costume designer Holly Waddington drew on the 1960s space-age fashion of Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin, and André Courrèges, while Bella’s white Victorian boots featured a toe cutout partially inspired by Courrèges futuristic aesthetic.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
Under the lights, in front of their people in San Sebastián, facing an opposition ruffled by star Kylian Mbappé’s decision to leave the French capital this summer, the Txuri-Urdin can spectacularly turn this narrative upside down.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
From spring weddings to Easter brunch, this ruffled, tiered silhouette will be a welcome look in a wide range of settings and occasions.
—Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024
Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
A home situation that ruffles your feathers can get your blood boiling.
—USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
The blouse fits like a classic tee but has ruffled sleeves to set it apart from your current collection.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The puff sleeves definitely add interest, and so does the V-neckline, floral pattern, adjustable tie at the waist, and ruffle midi-length hem.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
Lucas acknowledged ruffling the feathers of some fellow legislators by refusing to hold a hearing on the two stand-alone arena bills.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The new collection features dreamy silhouettes with puffy tulle, lace skirts, ruffles, bows, and other whimsical touches.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Her way of being ruffles the feathers of pious, uptight neighbor Edith (Colman) who tsks-tsks nearly everyone for not climbing to the highest moral ground.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The set includes the butterfly print dress with a ruffle hem and a denim vest with butterfly embroidery.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024
Hoosiers ruffle Gamecocks’ feathers in women’s Sweet 16 No. 4 Indiana whittled a 22-point South Carolina lead down to two with 1:08 left on Friday night, but the No. 1 Gamecocks used tight defense to hold off the feisty Hoosiers and advance to the Elite Eight.
—Kathryn Sheldon, Sacramento Bee, 31 Mar. 2024
That translated initially into collections that toughened Valentino staples, including ruffles and bows (not to mention red), and injected new motifs like the Rockstud.
—Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
In addition to retro color pairings, such as pink and green, this trend has sparked the comeback of Lambeth piping, a classic English tradition of over-piping icing to create elaborate ruffles, scrolls, garlands, pearls and more.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
The V-neck wrap dress features cute ruffle short sleeves, an elastic high waist with a tie belt, and a pleated hem.
—Rachel Simon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024
Verb
It’s outfitted with a V-neckline, ruffled cap sleeves, and a flowy maxi skirt that’ll twirl with you on the dance floor.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 25 Mar. 2024
When designing balloon sleeves and ruffled collars for Bella, costume designer Holly Waddington drew on the 1960s space-age fashion of Paco Rabanne, Pierre Cardin, and André Courrèges, while Bella’s white Victorian boots featured a toe cutout partially inspired by Courrèges futuristic aesthetic.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2024
Under the lights, in front of their people in San Sebastián, facing an opposition ruffled by star Kylian Mbappé’s decision to leave the French capital this summer, the Txuri-Urdin can spectacularly turn this narrative upside down.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024
From spring weddings to Easter brunch, this ruffled, tiered silhouette will be a welcome look in a wide range of settings and occasions.
—Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2024
Read the full Libra Daily Horoscope Scorpio (October 23 - November 21)
A home situation that ruffles your feathers can get your blood boiling.
—USA TODAY, 27 Mar. 2024
The blouse fits like a classic tee but has ruffled sleeves to set it apart from your current collection.
—Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The puff sleeves definitely add interest, and so does the V-neckline, floral pattern, adjustable tie at the waist, and ruffle midi-length hem.
—Carly Totten, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2024
Lucas acknowledged ruffling the feathers of some fellow legislators by refusing to hold a hearing on the two stand-alone arena bills.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 10 Mar. 2024
Noun
The actress wore a long, off-the-shoulder Bohemian ruffle dress paired with strappy pink heels, a bangle bracelet, and a silver floral statement necklace.
—Jen Juneau, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
The new collection features dreamy silhouettes with puffy tulle, lace skirts, ruffles, bows, and other whimsical touches.
—Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Her way of being ruffles the feathers of pious, uptight neighbor Edith (Colman) who tsks-tsks nearly everyone for not climbing to the highest moral ground.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
The set includes the butterfly print dress with a ruffle hem and a denim vest with butterfly embroidery.
—Nora Colomer, Fox News, 21 Mar. 2024
Hoosiers ruffle Gamecocks’ feathers in women’s Sweet 16 No. 4 Indiana whittled a 22-point South Carolina lead down to two with 1:08 left on Friday night, but the No. 1 Gamecocks used tight defense to hold off the feisty Hoosiers and advance to the Elite Eight.
—Kathryn Sheldon, Sacramento Bee, 31 Mar. 2024
That translated initially into collections that toughened Valentino staples, including ruffles and bows (not to mention red), and injected new motifs like the Rockstud.
—Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024
In addition to retro color pairings, such as pink and green, this trend has sparked the comeback of Lambeth piping, a classic English tradition of over-piping icing to create elaborate ruffles, scrolls, garlands, pearls and more.
—Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024
The V-neck wrap dress features cute ruffle short sleeves, an elastic high waist with a tie belt, and a pleated hem.
—Rachel Simon, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ruffle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ruffle
Cite this Entry
“Ruffle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruffle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ruffle
1 of 3 verb
ruf·fle
ˈrəf-əl
ruffled; ruffling
ˈrəf-(ə-)liŋ
1
a
: to disturb the smoothness of
2
: to erect (as feathers) in or like a ruff
3
: to make into a ruffle
ruffle
2 of 3 noun1
: a state or cause of irritation
2
a
: a strip of fabric gathered or pleated on one edge
b
ruffle
3 of 3 noun
: a low vibrating drumbeat that is less loud than a roll
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