raffish
/ˈɹæfɪʃ/ adjective
- adjective Characterized by careless unconventionality; rakish.
- adjective Low-class; disreputable; vulgar.
Synonyms
dapper dashing jaunty natty rakish spiffy snappy spruce devil-may-care
Etymology
From late 18th century raff (“persons among the lowest class in society”) + -ish, still retained in contemporary English with riffraff. From Old French raffer (“to wear away”), of Germanic origin. Compare German raffen. Compare rip (“to tear”), rap (“to snatch”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Resembling, or having the character of, raff, or a raff; worthless; low. A sad, raffish, disreputable character. Thackeray.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “raffish”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details