Ruffle vs. Shuffle — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on May 9, 2024
Ruffle means to disarrange, disturb, or upset, often referring to someone's emotions or the physical appearance of something. Shuffle refers to mixing or rearranging things randomly or moving in a dragging or shuffling manner.
Difference Between Ruffle and Shuffle
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Key Differences
Ruffle is a verb that means to disturb or disarrange something, often upsetting its usual appearance or smoothness. In contrast, shuffle primarily means to mix items randomly or to move with a dragging, slow motion.
Ruffle is also used metaphorically to describe emotionally disturbing or upsetting someone. Whereas, shuffle often refers to rearranging items like cards or files or walking by dragging one's feet.
Ruffle is associated with physical disarray, like ruffling someone's hair or feathers. Shuffle emphasizes the concept of random mixing, like shuffling a deck of cards or papers.
Ruffle also refers to a decorative fabric trim that creates a frilled effect on clothing. Meanwhile, shuffle as a noun indicates a type of rearrangement, especially in music playlists or card games.
Ruffle generally conveys a temporary disruption of order or calmness. Shuffle can imply a permanent or temporary randomization or shuffling of position.
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Comparison Chart
Meaning
To disarrange, disturb, or upset
To mix randomly or drag one's feet
Emotional Impact
Can refer to disturbing emotions
Does not usually imply emotional disturbance
Physical Actions
Dishevel, disturb, or wrinkle
Mix items, drag while walking
Alternate Meanings
Decorative fabric trim
Randomized rearrangement of files, cards
Contexts
Personal appearance, emotions
Cards, files, walking style, playlists
Compare with Definitions
Ruffle
To disarrange, disturb, or dishevel.
The wind ruffled his neatly combed hair.
Shuffle
A rearrangement of items, especially cards.
After the first shuffle, he dealt the cards evenly.
Ruffle
To upset or irritate someone's emotions.
Her unexpected question ruffled his composure.
Shuffle
To move people or things around in an unplanned manner.
The company shuffled staff between departments to manage workloads.
Ruffle
A frill or decorative trim of fabric.
The dress was adorned with delicate lace ruffles.
Shuffle
To walk with dragging, shuffling steps.
The old man shuffled across the room to answer the door.
Ruffle
To ripple or wrinkle the surface of something.
The breeze ruffled the calm surface of the lake.
Shuffle
An unsteady, dragging style of walking.
His tired shuffle was unmistakable as he came home from work.
Ruffle
A state of disturbance or disarray.
Despite the ruffle, she maintained a professional demeanor.
Shuffle
To mix items randomly.
He shuffled the deck before dealing the cards.
Ruffle
Disorder or disarrange (someone's hair), typically by running one's hands through it
He ruffled her hair affectionately
Shuffle
To move with short sliding steps, without or barely lifting the feet
The crowd shuffled out of the theater.
Ruffle
Ornament with or gather into a frill
A blouse with a high ruffled neck
Shuffle
To dance casually with sliding and tapping steps.
Ruffle
An ornamental gathered or goffered frill of lace or other cloth on a garment, especially around the wrist or neck.
Shuffle
To shift from position to position or move from place to place
Shuffled around looking for work.
Ruffle
A vibrating drum beat.
Shuffle
To present, play, or display (music or video files) in random order.
Ruffle
A strip of frilled or closely pleated fabric used for trimming or decoration.
Shuffle
(Games) To mix playing cards, tiles, or dominoes together so as to make their order random.
Ruffle
A ruff on a bird.
Shuffle
(Archaic) To act in a shifty or deceitful manner; equivocate.
Ruffle
An irregularity or a slight disturbance of a surface
The ruffle on the lake.
Shuffle
To slide (the feet) along the floor or ground while walking.
Ruffle
A beating or rustling sound
The ruffle of drums in the distance.
The ruffle of a skirt on the floor.
Shuffle
To move (things, for example) from one place or position to another; transfer or shift
Shuffle around the cushions on the couch.
Ruffle
A low continuous beating of a drum that is not as loud as a roll. Also called ruff4.
Shuffle
To put quickly or furtively; shunt
Shuffled the bill under a pile of junk mail.
Ruffle
To disturb the smoothness or regularity of; ripple
The wind ruffled the water.
Shuffle
To present, play, or display music or video files in random order.
Ruffle
To pleat or gather (fabric) into a ruffle.
Shuffle
(Games) To mix together (playing cards or tiles, for example) so as to make a random order of arrangement.
Ruffle
To put a ruffle on (a garment, for example).
Shuffle
A short sliding step or movement, or a walk characterized by such steps.
Ruffle
To erect (the feathers). Used of birds.
Shuffle
A dance in which the feet slide along or move close to the floor.
Ruffle
To discompose or annoy; fluster
A book that is bound to ruffle some people.
Shuffle
A confused mixture or state of things; a jumble
The letter got lost in the shuffle.
Ruffle
To flip through (the pages of a book).
Shuffle
A feature on a music or video player that plays music or other files in a random order.
Ruffle
To shuffle (cards).
Shuffle
An act of shuffling cards, dominoes, or tiles.
Ruffle
To become irregular or rough
His hair ruffled in the wind.
Shuffle
A player's right or turn to do this.
Ruffle
To become annoyed or flustered
What teacher doesn't ruffle when students act up in class?.
Shuffle
(Archaic) An evasive or deceitful action; an equivocation.
Ruffle
To flip through the pages of a book
Ruffled through the book until I found the picture.
Shuffle
The act of shuffling cards.
He made a real mess of the last shuffle.
Ruffle
To search for something in a container
Ruffled in her bag looking for the keys.
Shuffle
The act of reordering anything, such as music tracks in a media player.
Ruffle
To make a beating or rustling sound.
Shuffle
An instance of walking without lifting one's feet.
The sad young girl left with a tired shuffle.
Ruffle
To beat a ruffle on (a drum).
Shuffle
A rhythm commonly used in blues music. Consists of a series of triplet notes with the middle note missing, so that it sounds like a long note followed by a short note. Sounds like a walker dragging one foot.
Ruffle
(Obsolete) To behave arrogantly or roughly; swagger.
Shuffle
(dance) A dance move in which the foot is scuffed across the floor back and forth.
Ruffle
Any gathered or curled strip of fabric added as trim or decoration.
She loved the dress with the lace ruffle at the hem.
Shuffle
A trick; an artifice; an evasion.
Ruffle
Disturbance; agitation; commotion.
To put the mind in a ruffle
Shuffle
(ambitransitive) To put in a random order.
Don't forget to shuffle the cards.
You shuffle, and I'll deal.
The data packets are shuffled before transmission.
I'm going to shuffle all the songs in my playlist.
Ruffle
(military) A low, vibrating beat of a drum, quieter than a roll; a ruff.
Shuffle
To change; modify the order of something.
Ruffle
(zoology) The connected series of large egg capsules, or oothecae, of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur.
Shuffle
(ambitransitive) To move in a slovenly, dragging manner; to drag or scrape the feet in walking or dancing.
He shuffled out of the room.
I shuffled my feet in embarrassment.
Ruffle
(transitive) To make a ruffle in; to curl or flute, as an edge of fabric.
Ruffle the end of the cuff.
Shuffle
To change one's position; to shift ground; to evade questions; to resort to equivocation; to prevaricate.
Ruffle
(transitive) To disturb; especially, to cause to flutter.
The wind ruffled the papers.
Her sudden volley of insults ruffled his composure.
Shuffle
To use arts or expedients; to make shift.
Ruffle
(intransitive) To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
Shuffle
To shove one way and the other; to push from one to another.
To shuffle money from hand to hand
Ruffle
(intransitive) To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
Shuffle
To remove or introduce by artificial confusion.
Ruffle
(intransitive) To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
Shuffle
To shove one way and the other; to push from one to another; as, to shuffle money from hand to hand.
Ruffle
To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
Shuffle
To mix by pushing or shoving; to confuse; to throw into disorder; especially, to change the relative positions of, as of the cards in a pack.
A man may shuffle cards or rattle dice from noon to midnight without tracing a new idea in his mind.
Ruffle
To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
Shuffle
To remove or introduce by artificial confusion.
It was contrived by your enemies, and shuffled into the papers that were seizen.
Ruffle
(military) To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
Shuffle
To change the relative position of cards in a pack; as, to shuffle and cut.
Ruffle
To throw together in a disorderly manner.
Shuffle
To change one's position; to shift ground; to evade questions; to resort to equivocation; to prevaricate.
I myself, . . . hiding mine honor in my necessity, am fain to shuffle.
Ruffle
To make into a ruff; to draw or contract into puckers, plaits, or folds; to wrinkle.
Shuffle
To use arts or expedients; to make shift.
Your life, good master,Must shuffle for itself.
Ruffle
To furnish with ruffles; as, to ruffle a shirt.
Shuffle
To move in a slovenly, dragging manner; to drag or scrape the feet in walking or dancing.
The aged creature cameShuffling along with ivory-headed wand.
Ruffle
To oughen or disturb the surface of; to make uneven by agitation or commotion.
The fantastic revelries . . . that so often ruffled the placid bosom of the Nile.
She smoothed the ruffled seas.
Shuffle
The act of shuffling; a mixing confusedly; a slovenly, dragging motion.
The unguided agitation and rude shuffles of matter.
Ruffle
To erect in a ruff, as feathers.
[the swan] ruffles her pure cold plume.
Shuffle
A trick; an artifice; an evasion.
The gifts of nature are beyond all shame and shuffles.
Ruffle
To beat with the ruff or ruffle, as a drum.
Shuffle
The act of mixing cards haphazardly
Ruffle
To discompose; to agitate; to disturb.
These ruffle the tranquillity of the mind.
But, ever after, the small violence doneRankled in him and ruffled all his heart.
Shuffle
Walking with a slow dragging motion without lifting your feet;
From his shambling I assumed he was very old
Ruffle
To throw into disorder or confusion.
Where bestHe might the ruffled foe infest.
Shuffle
Walk by dragging one's feet;
He shuffled out of the room
We heard his feet shuffling down the hall
Ruffle
To throw together in a disorderly manner.
I ruffled up falen leaves in heap.
Shuffle
Move about, move back and forth;
He shuffled his funds among different accounts in various countries so as to avoid the IRS
Ruffle
To grow rough, boisterous, or turbulent.
The night comes on, and the bleak windsDo sorely ruffle.
Shuffle
Mix so as to make a random order or arrangement;
Shuffle the cards
Ruffle
To become disordered; to play loosely; to flutter.
On his right shoulder his thick mane reclined,Ruffles at speed, and dances in the wind.
Ruffle
To be rough; to jar; to be in contention; hence, to put on airs; to swagger.
They would ruffle with jurors.
Gallants who ruffled in silk and embroidery.
Ruffle
That which is ruffled; specifically, a strip of lace, cambric, or other fine cloth, plaited or gathered on one edge or in the middle, and used as a trimming; a frill.
Ruffle
A state of being ruffled or disturbed; disturbance; agitation; commotion; as, to put the mind in a ruffle.
Ruffle
A low, vibrating beat of a drum, not so loud as a roll; - called also ruff.
Ruffle
The connected series of large egg capsules, or oöthecæ, of any one of several species of American marine gastropods of the genus Fulgur. See Oötheca.
Ruffle
A strip of pleated material used as a decoration or a trim
Ruffle
A high tight collar
Ruffle
A noisy fight
Ruffle
Stir up (water) so as to form ripples
Ruffle
Trouble or vex;
Ruffle somebody's composure
Ruffle
To walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others;
He struts around like a rooster in a hen house
Ruffle
Discompose;
This play is going to ruffle some people
She has a way of ruffling feathers among her colleagues
Ruffle
Twitch or flutter;
The paper flicked
Ruffle
Mix so as to make a random order or arrangement;
Shuffle the cards
Ruffle
Erect or fluff up;
The bird ruffled its feathers
Ruffle
Disturb the smoothness of;
Ruffle the surface of the water
Ruffle
Pleat or gather into a ruffle;
Ruffle the curtain fabric
Common Curiosities
What does ruffle mean?
Ruffle means to disturb or disarrange something, either physically or emotionally.
Does shuffle only refer to cards?
No, shuffle applies to other random rearrangements, like papers, files, or playlists.
Can ruffle have a decorative meaning?
Yes, ruffle also refers to a fabric trim that creates a frilled effect.
Does ruffle always imply negative emotions?
Not always, but it often involves causing slight irritation or disturbance.
Does ruffle imply a permanent state?
No, ruffle often indicates a temporary state of disarray.
What does shuffle mean?
Shuffle means to mix or rearrange items randomly, or to walk with a dragging motion.
Is ruffle the same as shuffle?
No, ruffle refers to upsetting or disheveling, while shuffle indicates random mixing or dragging steps.
Can shuffle mean moving people around?
Yes, shuffle can describe reorganizing or shifting people or things between groups.
Is shuffle commonly used with music?
Yes, shuffle can mean playing songs in a random order.
Does shuffle indicate walking style?
Yes, shuffle can describe a dragging, unsteady way of walking.
Is ruffle ever used positively?
Yes, in fashion, ruffles are decorative and desirable.
Does ruffle involve changing the position of items?
Not directly, as it focuses on disturbing the surface rather than fully changing positions.
Can shuffle be used metaphorically?
Yes, it can metaphorically describe reorganizing ideas, people, or data.
Can ruffle refer to water surfaces?
Yes, ruffle can mean to cause a rippling effect on water.
Is shuffle used in sports or games?
Yes, shuffle applies to shuffling cards or rearranging pieces.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
