rascal

[ras-kuhl]

noun

1. a base, dishonest, or unscrupulous person.

   Synonyms: scapegrace, miscreant, villain, scamp, rapscallion

2. a mischievous person or animal.

   That child is a real rascal.

rascal

/ ˈrɑːskəl /

noun

1. a disreputable person; villain

2. a mischievous or impish rogue

3. an affectionate or mildly reproving term for a child or old man

   you little rascal

   the wicked old rascal kissed her

4. obsolete,  a person of lowly birth

adjective

1. obsolete,  (prenominal)

   1. belonging to the mob or rabble

   2. dishonest; knavish

Other Word Forms

• rascallike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rascal¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English rascaile, raskaille, from Old French rascaille “rabble”; perhaps akin to rash ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of rascal¹

C14: from Old French rascaille rabble, perhaps from Old Norman French rasque mud, filth

Synonym Study

See knave.

Example Sentences

Nutsawoo was their pet squirrel, and the children spoiled him with treats and head scratches as often as the furry rascal would let them.

Read more on Literature

I learned more than I’d care to know about being a knave and a rascal and committing roguery of all sorts, but minding our longitude and latitude was enough to keep me busy.

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“We look like fools to our friends,” wrote a New York Times columnist, “rascals to our enemies and incompetents to the rest.”

Read more on Literature

You don’t need to have Luna sport a mustache, though, to see in his rascal of a character hints of revolutionary icons from Latin America.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A County Tyrone family have said nothing is going to bring their "wee rascal" back as a man was jailed for five years for killing the nine-year-old in a hit-and-run crash.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bum 
• liar 
• scoundrel 
• swindler 
• wretch