rakish

1
[ rey-kish ]
See synonyms for rakish on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. like a rake; dissolute: rakish behavior.

Origin of rakish

1
First recorded in 1700–10; rake2 + -ish1

Other words from rakish

  • rak·ish·ly, adverb
  • rak·ish·ness, noun

Words Nearby rakish

Other definitions for rakish (2 of 2)

rakish2
[ rey-kish ]

adjective
  1. smart; jaunty; dashing: a hat worn at a rakish angle.

  2. (of a vessel) having an appearance suggesting speed.

Origin of rakish

2
First recorded in 1815–25; rake3 + -ish1

Other words for rakish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rakish in a sentence

  • It was a little on one side and gave the good clergyman a decidedly rakish appearance.

  • It sat on one side of her ill-kept head, giving her a singularly rakish and definite appearance.

    Ancestors | Gertrude Atherton
  • He is a rakish looking fellow, dressed in smart but cheap clothing.

    The Diamond Coterie | Lawrence L. Lynch
  • Captain Smith and his men knew who manned those long, low, rakish-looking frigates.

    Historic Adventures | Rupert S. Holland
  • He even sought an interview with Pappoose and asked her to describe the rakish traveler who had so unfavorably impressed her.

    Warrior Gap | Charles King

British Dictionary definitions for rakish (1 of 2)

rakish1

/ (ˈreɪkɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. dissolute; profligate

Origin of rakish

1
C18: from rake ² + -ish

Derived forms of rakish

  • rakishly, adverb
  • rakishness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rakish (2 of 2)

rakish2

/ (ˈreɪkɪʃ) /


adjective
  1. dashing; jaunty: a hat set at a rakish angle

  2. nautical (of a ship or boat) having lines suggestive of speed

Origin of rakish

2
C19: probably from rake ³ (sense 1), with reference to the sloping masts of pirate ships

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012