riff
1 Americannoun
-
Jazz. a melodic phrase, often constantly repeated, forming an accompaniment or part of an accompaniment for a soloist.
-
a new variation on or a different manifestation of an existing thing or idea (often followed byon ).
This is an eco-conscious riff on the study-abroad experience.
verb (used without object)
-
Jazz. to perform a repeated melodic phrase, forming an accompaniment for a soloist.
-
to experiment with a thing or idea, making changes that create a new and novel version of it (often followed byon ).
My partner likes to let his ideas quietly simmer, but I prefer to riff on mine in conversations where I can bounce my thoughts off other people.
-
to create, write, or perform something, like a comedy routine, using a common or known point of departure and following a previously unexplored tangent from that known point to a fresh or humorous perspective (often followed by on oroff ).
My act riffs off famous love stories and adds modern feminist elements to unmask the absurdity of “happily ever after” in fairy tales.
noun
verb
-
(intr) to play or perform riffs in jazz or rock music
-
informal to speak amusingly or make (amusing comments or remarks)
Other Word Forms
- Riffian adjective
Etymology
Origin of riff
First recorded in 1930–35; perhaps alteration and shortening of refrain 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After the comedian riffs with the “patient,” the audience weighs in on the issue with green and red “thumbs up/thumbs down” paddles, often yelling out comments or directly querying the participant.
From Los Angeles Times
Dylan didn’t quote himself in that particular riff, but he could have, and “Highway of Diamonds” is absolutely another piece of evidence in that regard.
From Salon
In August 1966, the Beatles led their album “Revolver” with Harrison’s “Taxman,” a jagged riff that doubled as a fiscal protest.
“We don’t have a permit,” cracked host Ego Nwodim, riffing on scrappy independent tactics in her monologue.
From Los Angeles Times
Mr. Johnson can riff with the best of them, with Mr. McCarrol his perfect foil; the two also wrote the screenplay together.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
