rough vs ruffian

rough

noun
  • A rude fellow; a coarse bully; a rowdy. 

  • A quick sketch, similar to a thumbnail but larger and more detailed, used for artistic brainstorming. 

  • A scuffed and roughened area of the pitch, where the bowler's feet fall, used as a target by spin bowlers because of its unpredictable bounce. 

  • The unmowed part of a golf course. 

  • The raw material from which faceted or cabochon gems are created. 

  • A piece inserted in a horseshoe to keep the animal from slipping. 

adv
  • In a rough manner; rudely; roughly. 

adj
  • Turbulent. 

  • Crude; unrefined. 

  • Approximate; hasty or careless; not finished. 

  • Difficult; trying. 

  • Violent; not careful or subtle. 

  • Not polished; uncut. 

  • Harsh-tasting. 

  • Somewhat ill; sick; in poor condition. 

  • Unwell due to alcohol; hungover. 

  • Loud and hoarse; offensive to the ear; harsh; grating. 

  • Worn; shabby; weather-beaten. 

  • Not smooth; uneven. 

verb
  • To render rough; to roughen. 

  • To break in (a horse, etc.), especially for military purposes. 

  • To create in an approximate form. 

  • To endure primitive conditions. 

  • To roughen a horse's shoes to keep the animal from slipping. 

  • To commit the offense of roughing, i.e. to punch another player. 

ruffian

noun
  • A scoundrel, rascal, or unprincipled, deceitful, brutal and unreliable person. 

verb
  • To play the ruffian; to rage; to raise tumult. 

adj
  • Brutal; cruel; savagely boisterous; murderous. 

How often have the words rough and ruffian occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )