Miscreant vs Ruffian - What's the difference?
miscreant | ruffian |
Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.
(theology) Holding an incorrect religious belief.
One who has behaved badly, or illegally.
One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.
(theology) One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.
* Rivers
A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person.
* Shakespeare
(obsolete) A pimp; a pander.
(obsolete) A lover; a paramour.
* Bishop Reynolds
As adjectives the difference between miscreant and ruffian
is that miscreant is lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous while ruffian is brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous.As nouns the difference between miscreant and ruffian
is that miscreant is one who has behaved badly, or illegally while ruffian is a scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person.As a verb ruffian is
to play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult.miscreant
English
Alternative forms
* miscreaunt (obsolete)Adjective
(en adjective)Noun
(en noun)- The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.
- (Addison)
- (Spenser)
- (De Quincey)
- Thou oughtest not to be slothful to the destruction of the miscreants , but to constrain them to obey our Lord God.
Quotations
* (English Citations of "miscreant")Synonyms
* See also * See alsoruffian
English
Noun
(en noun)- Wilt thou on thy deathbed play the ruffian ?
- He [her husband] is no sooner abroad than she is instantly at home, revelling with her ruffians .