1. Disturb the smoothness of
   "ruffle the surface of the water"; "ruffle up the surface of the water";
   - ruffle up, rumple, mess up
    
2. Erect or fluff up
   "the bird ruffled its feathers";
   - fluff
    
3. Pleat or gather into a ruffle
   "ruffle the curtain fabric";
   - pleat
    
4. Trouble or vex
   "ruffle somebody's composure"
    
5. Discompose
   "She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues"; "This play is going to ruffle some people"
    
6. Form small waves or wrinkles
   "The boat's wake ruffled the calm water";
   - ripple, riffle, cockle, undulate
    
7. Twitch or flutter
   "the paper ruffled";
   - flick, riffle
    
8. Mix so as to make a random order or arrangement
   "ruffle the cards";
   - shuffle, mix
    
9. To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
   "He ruffles around like a rooster in a hen house";
   - tittup [archaic], swagger, prance, strut, sashay [N. Amer], cock

1. A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
   "The dress was adorned with delicate ruffles along the hem";
   - frill, flounce, furbelow
    
2. A high tight collar
   "The Elizabethan costume included an elaborate neck ruffle made of starched linen";
   - choker, ruff, neck ruff
    
3. A noisy fight
   "A ruffle broke out in the schoolyard";
   - affray, disturbance, fray

Derived forms: ruffles, ruffling, ruffled

See also: fluff up

Type of: adornment, annoy, bother, chafe [archaic], collar, combat, devil, disarrange, displace, fight, fighting, flow, fluster, flux, fold, fold up, get at [informal], get to, gravel [US], irritate, loosen, manipulate, move, nark [Brit, slang], neckband, nettle, rag, rile, roil [N. Amer], scrap, tick off [informal], turn up, vex, walk

Encyclopedia: Ruffle, Jonathan