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rakish

rakish

4 8.4
Having a smart, lively, and slightly bold look or manner
  • adjective
  • /ˈreɪkɪʃ/
translation icon : elegante
  • His army cap was pushed back at a rakish angle, and he grinned brazenly, straight at the camera.
  • a rakish hat
  • a rakish smile
  • a rakish look

This egotist, this rakish character named Donald Trump.

Examples

  • But he sucks you in with his rakish charm, those eyes like limpid pools.

  • Sam was gone, though his rakish profile photo continued to smile at her, as cruel as ever.

    Blog text (17)
  • There was something a bit rakish about that smile, Mike thought.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The mark makes him look rakish.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • It's my job to put the halo in place, and I usually cock it at a rakish angle.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • The late Mr. Johnson, though he'd had a bright smile and wore his hat at a rakish angle, was not a good provider.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • But Pattinson, 26, still has those rakish good looks that drew a screaming fan base and made him a tabloid fixture.

    Blog text (19)
  • I'm looking at a color photo of George now, with his dark blue rakish hat and lemon yellow jacket, butterscotch eyes and stubbly chin.

    Academic text (2007)
  • But the almost insouciant twist of the scarf lent her a rather rakish look, otherwise so proper in starched whites, that reminded her briefly of La Belle.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • He walked into the room with a rakish smile that immediately caught everyone's attention.

Synonyms

funky
vsrakish
  • Informal
126 6.4

Looks stylish in an unusual and original way

is more about bold, slightly old-fashioned charm than modern originality
jaunty
vsrakish
10 6.3

Lively and cheerful in a confident, stylish way

is livelier and more daring in style than cheerful neatness
devil-may-care
vsrakish
  • Informal
4 8.1

Not caring about danger or the bad results of actions

focuses on stylish boldness rather than risk taking
dashing
vsrakish
1 4.3

Attractive and stylish in a confident, lively way

is more unconventional and bold than simple elegance
raffish
vsrakish
1 9.3

Like a person who breaks some rules but looks attractive and carefree

is stylish and bold without implying disreputability

Antonyms

175 2.8

Doing things in the usual way most people expect, not new or original

Few people wear it now because it is not in style

How Stylish

flamboyant
35 6.5
dashing
1 4.3
rakish
4 8.4
stylish
85 2.0
smart
127 2.4
neat
144 1.0

Surface Forms

rakish positive
rakisher comparative
rakishest superlative

Morphology

rakish = rake (semi-transparent) = rake + ish

Formed from 'rake' + '-ish' so the structural relation is clear, but many learners know 'rake' only as the garden tool (or may not know the 'libertine' sense), and the modern sense includes stylishness as well as disreputability.

Etymology

Rakish comes from the old word rake, which named a man who 'lived fast' and often broke the usual rules. So rakish now describes a stylish, lively look or attitude that is a little wild and daring.