rogue

American  

[rohg] / roʊg /

adjective

1. no longer obedient, belonging, or accepted and hence not controllable or answerable; renegade.

   They described him as a rogue cop who had abandoned his training.

2. dangerous and unpredictable.

   They were trapped in the house by a rogue snowstorm.

3. of or noting a nation or state that defies international treaties, laws, etc..

   The blame is placed on rogue states that threaten world peace.

4. (of an animal) having an abnormally violent or unpredictable disposition.

   She helped trap a rogue tiger terrorizing the village.

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noun

1. a dishonest, untrustworthy person; scoundrel.

   We were traveling in secret to avoid running into rogues and thieves.

   Synonyms:

   quack, mountebank, cheat, swindler, trickster, villain

2. a playfully mischievous person; scamp.

   The youngest boys are little rogues.

3. Archaic. a tramp or vagabond.

4. an animal having an abnormally violent or unpredictable disposition.

5. Biology. a usually inferior organism, especially a plant, varying markedly from the normal.

verb (used with object)

rogued, roguing

1. 1. to uproot or destroy (plants that do not conform to a desired standard).

      Usually, roguing the diseased plants is sufficient to minimize further spread.

   2. to perform this operation upon.

      to rogue a field.

2. to cheat.

verb (used without object)

rogued, roguing

1. to live or act as a scoundrel, vagabond, or scamp.

idioms

1. go rogue, to stop being obedient or predictable; to behave in a way that is not allowed or expected.

   Giving people the tools they need to do their jobs greatly reduces the risk of employees going rogue and using unauthorized services.

   To make more money, the agent went rogue and sold his services to the highest bidder.

rogue British  

/ rəʊɡ /

noun

1. a dishonest or unprincipled person, esp a man; rascal; scoundrel

2. humorous a mischievous or wayward person, often a child; scamp

3. a crop plant which is inferior, diseased, or of a different, unwanted variety

4. 1. any inferior or defective specimen

   2. ( as modifier )

      rogue heroin

5. archaic a vagrant

6. 1. an animal of vicious character that has separated from the main herd and leads a solitary life

   2. ( as modifier )

      a rogue elephant

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verb

1. 1. (tr) to rid (a field or crop) of plants that are inferior, diseased, or of an unwanted variety

   2. to identify and remove such plants

Related Words

See knave.

Other Word Forms

• outrogue verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of rogue

First recorded in 1555–65; origin uncertain, apparently short for obsolete roger “begging vagabond,” originally thieves' jargon

Example Sentences

A total of 1,000 Kenyans have been recruited to fight for Russia, according to a Kenyan intelligence report that details a network of rogue officials allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates.

From BBC

Ruby said federal authorities have told him that “rogue content creators” played a key role in amplifying complaints from several disgruntled individuals, and that led to the threatening messages he and his church have received.

From Salon

Shambaugh said in an interview that his experience shows the risk that rogue AIs could threaten or blackmail people is no longer theoretical.

From The Wall Street Journal

SEOUL—The young daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un appears increasingly positioned to become the rogue nation’s next leader, Seoul’s spy agency said, though Pyongyang itself has stayed mum on succession plans.

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. has threatened to seize more rogue tankers moving the country’s crude exports.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• con artist
• crook
• rascal
• swindler
• villain