ruffle — to disturb the smoothness or regularity of something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to disturb the smoothness or regularity of something
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈrʌf.əl/
Example Sentences
- The cat's sudden jump ruffled the perfectly arranged magazines on the table.
- My grandmother's criticism about my tattoo really ruffled my feathers during dinner.
- The princess's dress had so many ruffles that she looked like a walking wedding cake.
ruffle
VERB[/ˈrʌf.əl/]
to disturb the smoothness or regularity of something
A sudden gust ruffles the picnic tablecloth and sends napkins flying.
Don't shuffle and ruffle, you'll lose the truffle!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Middle Dutch 'ruffelen' or Low German 'ruffeln', meaning to wrinkle or disturb. The word entered English in the 16th century and likely has onomatopoetic origins, imitating the sound or action of rustling or disturbing fabric.
Breakdown
ruff- (to wrinkle/disturb) + -le (frequentative suffix indicating repeated action) = ruffle
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The cat's sudden jump ruffled the perfectly arranged magazines on the table.”
“My grandmother's criticism about my tattoo really ruffled my feathers during dinner.”
“The princess's dress had so many ruffles that she looked like a walking wedding cake.”
“He tried to look serious, but his mom ruffled his hair and called him 'sweetie' in front of his friends.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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