raff
raff — noun
1. people who are regarded as dishonest, unpleasant, or from a low social backgroun
people who are regarded as dishonest, unpleasant, or from a low social background — a disrespectful term used to show strong disapproval of a group.
Kenji warned his son to stay away from the raff that gathered near the park.
the raff that + verb — collective noun with 'the'
A group of raff had taken over the old train station and refused to leave.
Tendai's grandmother called the new neighbours raff just because they played loud music.
The wealthy landlord described the tenants as raff and tried to force them out.
Diego was offended when the hotel manager treated their family like raff.
- riffraff
the full form of the word; slightly more common in modern English
- rabble
emphasises a disorderly, noisy crowd rather than low social class alone
- dregs of society
a stronger idiom that suggests the lowest, most worthless people
文法句型
the + raff
raff as collective subject
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article 'the' ('the raff'). It functions as a collective noun treating a group as a single mass. The word is old-fashioned and strongly derogatory — calling someone 'raff' expresses contempt for their character or social position.