Breadcrumb Home > Dictionary > Index R ruffian: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: ruf•fi•an Pronunciation: (ruf'ē-un, ruf'yun), [key] — n. a tough, lawless person; roughneck; bully. —adj. tough; lawless; brutal. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: ruffian (Thesaurus) ruffed lemur ruffianism ✖ Related Content Daily Word Quiz: dishabille Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language