picaresque
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˌpɪkəˈrɛsk/
- Literature
- A masterpiece of the picaresque genre, and yet...
- picaresque novel
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Watch on YouTubeIt almost feels picaresque, right, Where the things that are happening, there's no inherent need for them to go the way that they do.
- It almost feels picaresque, right, Where the things that are happening, there's no inherent need for them to go the way that they do.
Examples
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As a picaresque hero, Rudy experiences a number of unrelated adventures.
Academic text (1995) -
There were picaresque tales of young men that she had known, and frequently her parents were the subject.
Fiction book (1991) -
This is what you'd call a picaresque novel.
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These would be sad memories were they not so picaresque and such good comedic material.
Fiction book (2000) -
Coaxed out of his clothes with wine and cash, Bernini's porter resembles a character from picaresque fiction.
Academic text (2015) -
This process is the modus operandi of the first great picaresque novel, Lazarillo de Tormes.
Academic text (2000) -
In the novel, the author creates a picaresque protagonist who cleverly navigates a series of humorous misadventures.
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The picaresque stories of the wandering rogue delight readers with their satirical take on society.
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Many classic works of literature feature a picaresque narrative style that follows the escapades of witty anti-heroes.
Surface Forms
Morphology
picaresque = picaro + esque
Although the suffix '-esque' means 'in the style of', the lexical base derives from Spanish 'pícaro' (not an English headword), so an average B1 learner cannot reliably infer the meaning from the parts.
Etymology
Picaresque comes from the Spanish word pícaro, which means 'rogue' or 'rascal'. So a picaresque story is like the adventures of a clever trickster who travels, breaks rules, and gets into funny or dangerous situations.