rascally

[ras-kuh-lee]

adjective

1. being, characteristic of, or befitting a rascal.

adverb

1. in a rascally manner.

rascally

/ ˈrɑːskəlɪ /

adjective

1. dishonest or mean; base

2. archaic,  (esp of places) wretchedly unpleasant; miserable

adverb

1. in a dishonest or mean fashion

Word History and Origins

Origin of rascally¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; rascal + -ly

Example Sentences

“I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Carpenter says, halfway between self-deprecation and something more rascally.

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Our brains know a cartoon isn’t real — be it a rascally rabbit, a culinary rat or a dragon with the same sheen as salt licorice — and yet our hearts gift it with life.

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Those rascally, backbench Tea Party/Freedom Caucus ideologues finally got the leader they've been waiting for and his name is Elon Musk, the richest man in the world.

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Her depictions of their habits and foibles are laced with considerable wit — and subjective assessments: “rascally” California scrub jays, “voracious” Townsend’s warblers, “solitary nonconformist” hermit thrushes, murderous crows, fiercely competitive hummingbirds.

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The classic cartoon stars the beloved mascot as the whistling, rascally pilot of a steamboat floating down a river.

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Related Words

• bawdy 
• coarse 
• foul-mouthed 
• lewd 
• naughty 
• off-color 
• racy 
• rude 
• sly