as in crass
lacking in refinement or good taste
the dowager cringed at the thought of raffish tourists in rough boots tromping all over her Persian rugs
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Recent Examples of raffish
There’s an over-the-top and overdressed fish out of water (me), a raffish Englishmen homesick for Great Britain (my husband Aidan, who will be mortified to read any of this), and an ensemble of quirky characters.
—
Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
The sun was setting, leaving a band of neon orange clinging to the horizon; around us, raffish cliques sipped esoteric cocktails, shared platters of roast chicken, flitted between languages, and seemed, to my eyes, immune to worldly stress.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2024
The present headquarters of the Andy Warhol Factory are, despite the raffish image, surprisingly elegant and ordered: typewriters click, business machines whir, telephones ring and are answered by trim and efficient secretaries.
—Stephen Birmingham, Town & Country, 10 Aug. 2023
But his hopes had been stirred up watching leading men in Hindi matinees: a grandiose Dilip Kumar in Naya Daur, a raffish Mithun Chakraborty in Mrigayaa.
—Hazlitt, 28 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for raffish
Mosha Lundström Halbert, Vogue, 20 Dec. 2024
The sun was setting, leaving a band of neon orange clinging to the horizon; around us, raffish cliques sipped esoteric cocktails, shared platters of roast chicken, flitted between languages, and seemed, to my eyes, immune to worldly stress.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 14 May 2024
The present headquarters of the Andy Warhol Factory are, despite the raffish image, surprisingly elegant and ordered: typewriters click, business machines whir, telephones ring and are answered by trim and efficient secretaries.
—Stephen Birmingham, Town & Country, 10 Aug. 2023
But his hopes had been stirred up watching leading men in Hindi matinees: a grandiose Dilip Kumar in Naya Daur, a raffish Mithun Chakraborty in Mrigayaa.
—Hazlitt, 28 Apr. 2022
See All Example Sentences for raffish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for raffish
Adjective
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The bold phrase caused an uproar among fans; while some praised the model for her bravado, others criticized her for being crass.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
2 May 2026
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Plastic trinkets and graffiti, television sets and bumper stickers, road signs and wigs—many might describe these items as disposable culture, signs of America’s crass habit of regarding anything as art.—
Hua Hsu,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
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The word was considered so vulgar that it was left out of early dictionaries and was rarely printed, though Adams says people were certainly using it.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meeting a partner’s family can be challenging in any circumstance; anxieties about a family member saying something rude or belittling can only compound that.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
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Ohm, well played by Scott who can wither with you with a look, is the classic ugly American and is rude to everyone at the hotel, but those putdowns and cruelty hides his self loathing.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Keep moisture in the soil by adding a a 3- or 4-inch-thick layer of insulating, coarse wood (NOT BARK) mulch, leaving some bare sunny spots for ground dwelling native bees.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
2 May 2026
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Cutting up large or coarse ingredients like banana peels will speed up their decomposition.—
Jessica Damiano,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Zepbound, manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, advertises common side effects on its website that include hair loss, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and more.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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Meanwhile, museums across the United States and Canada were acquiring examples for their collections, and totem poles were becoming common attractions at world fairs.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Raffish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/raffish. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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