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riff
1[rif]
noun
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.
riff
/ ɪ /
noun
(in jazz or rock music) a short series of chords
verb
(intr) to play or perform riffs in jazz or rock music
informalto speak amusingly or make (amusing comments or remarks)
Other Word Forms
- Riffian adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of riff1
Example Sentences
It has now been a decade since that distinctive riff on “The Shining,” and for Byrne’s third feature, he once again pillages from indelible sources.
And like water, she sees herself as able to flow, changing form without losing her core alchemy — equally comfortable spitting fire rap verses as delivering sultry R&B riffs.
But I don’t want to end up like one of those bands doing the same riffs for 40 or 50 years — it just gets old.
Three decades on the song remains as popular as ever, but how did a riff Jarvis Cocker's bandmates initially dismissed as "a bit rubbish" become one of the defining records of the Britpop era?
Arnold Schwarzenegger riffed at length about his upcoming Christmas film for Amazon, “The Man With the Bag.”
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