What does ruffle mean?
Word: Ruffle
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Ruffle means to make hair, feathers or cloth untidy by moving them about.
How do you spell ruffle?
Syllables: ruf - fle
Tricky part: The f is doubled after the short u. One f would make the u say its long name, as in rule.
Watch out for: rufle, rouffle
Memory tip: Picture two feathers sticking up on a windblown bird: they stand for the two f's.
Idioms and Phrases
- ruffle somebody's feathers: to annoy or upset someone a little Example: "Kenji's loud comment ruffled a few feathers at the class meeting."
Ruffle in a sentence
Example 1: Grandpa likes to ruffle my hair when he says goodnight.
Example 2: A light wind moved across the lake and ruffled the water.
Example 3: Try not to ruffle the neat pile of clothes on the bed.
Fun Fact
On cold days birds ruffle up their feathers to trap a layer of warm air next to the skin.
Practise the CREST Way
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
feflur
a) sniffle
b) ruffle
c) shuffle
d) muffle
Show answer
b) ruffle. There is an r in the jumble, and the other three words have none.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word:
ruffle
a) tangle
b) rumple
c) disturb
d) smooth
Show answer
d) smooth. To smooth hair is to put it back in place, the opposite of this action.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
A cool breeze began to ruffel the tablecloth at our picnic.
a) tablecloth
b) picnic
c) breeze
d) ruffel
Show answer
d) ruffel. The word ends in le, as in little and bottle.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) sprinkle
b) scattar
c) tumble
d) ruffle
Show answer
b) scattar. Scatter ends in er, as in letter.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What might ruffle the feathers of a bird on a branch?
a) a long sleep in the nest
b) a bowl of fresh seeds
c) a calm and sunny day
d) a strong gust of wind
Show answer
d) a strong gust of wind
2. What would you do after someone has ruffled your hair?
a) comb it back into place
b) tie your shoelaces
c) wash your face again
d) pack your school bag
Show answer
a) comb it back into place
