noun
riffraff
RIHF-raf
noun
1
People regarded as disreputable or of low social standing, especially as a group.
"The bouncer was told to keep the riffraff out of the VIP area."
How to Use Riffraff
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dismissive term for people seen as low-class, disreputable, or unwanted.
When to use it
Old-fashioned and somewhat snobbish in tone; mostly used humorously or self-consciously today.
Word Forms
riffraffs plural
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The bouncer was told to keep the _____ out of the VIP area.
Etymology
From Old French rif et raf (\"one and all\"), combining words meaning \"to scrape off\" and \"to plunder\".