rakish
1 Americanadjective
adjective
-
dashing; jaunty
a hat set at a rakish angle
-
nautical (of a ship or boat) having lines suggestive of speed
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rakish1
First recorded in 1700–10; rake 2 + -ish 1
Origin of rakish2
Explanation
Ladies, the rakish fellow you met last night with the suave dance moves, smoothly rehearsed lines, and your number listed as “Goddess #14” in his phone is fine for a flirt, but probably isn’t meet-the-parents material. Used as an adjective to describe a dashing ladies’ man or a streamlined ship, rakish comes from the fusing of rake + -ish. Don Juan, the famous Spanish nobleman immortalized in 17th century Spanish tales, is the epitome of rakish: stylishly handsome and prone to saucy, fast behavior. Synonyms include charming, flashy, and immoral.
Vocabulary lists containing rakish
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Matilda
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"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" by James Thurber
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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.
There’s also a rakish love interest—an intriguing man who, unlike the Stoics, is an argument for passion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
His transformation into the rakish Soul Man earned him the rare cultural validation of a “Soul Train” appearance.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026
The nightlife of Russia’s elite has long been famously rakish but a recent party crossed an invisible line and provoked a public scandal.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
Use words like “exploited the system” and you could be describing a rakish con man or a revolutionary.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 5, 2023
It had a rakish sort of beauty to it.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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.
