Riff
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ɹɪf/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Riff is a noun meaning A repeated melody line in a song, usually instrumental but sometimes vocal.
Meaning
A repeated melody line in a song, usually instrumental but sometimes vocal.
More Meanings
- A clever or witty remark.
- A variation on something.
- A spoof.
- To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes.
- To riffle.
- To tell jokes over a movie or similar performance.
- (anatomy, archaic) The belly; the bowels.
Example Sentences
Pope Francis delivers off-the-cuff riff on family life
Listen to one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time!
She riffed on the Olympic judges, the bobsled team, then ad-libbed with a woman drinking a martini at the front table.
Both the Orbit and the Pinnacle are riffs on an idea sketched out in 1917 by Vladimir Tatlin for a monument to international communism.
Word Forms
- riffs
- riffing
- riffed
Synonyms for riff
Depending on context, synonyms include riffle, flick, thumb, leaf, flip.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include flick, flip, thumb, riffle, leaf, raff.
Related Dictionary Tools
Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.