rascal
Americannoun
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a base, dishonest, or unscrupulous person.
- Synonyms:
- scapegrace, miscreant, villain, scamp, rapscallion
-
a mischievous person or animal.
That child is a real rascal.
noun
-
a disreputable person; villain
-
a mischievous or impish rogue
-
an affectionate or mildly reproving term for a child or old man
you little rascal
the wicked old rascal kissed her
-
obsolete a person of lowly birth
adjective
Related Words
See knave.
Other Word Forms
- rascallike adjective
Etymology
Origin of rascal
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English rascaile, raskaille, from Old French rascaille “rabble”; perhaps akin to rash 2
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.
The question Mr. Junod explores is whether his father was a scoundrel or merely a rascal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
While Shoyo is a charismatic and ambitious rascal, Karasuno High and their various opponents provide a wide and varied array of winning characters who are willing to play the long game to win your heart.
From Salon • Dec. 26, 2025
Sure he had his faults, but to his adoring fans that just made him a lovable rascal.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2024
Onstage, Epps convincingly plays that rascal who has charmed his way out of trouble.
From New York Times • Feb. 20, 2024
The clever little rascal who had looked her in the eye and said, “But I really didn’t have a frindle with me—” that boy wasn’t in her class anymore.
From "Frindle" by Andrew Clements
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.
