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rogue

rogue

129 5.9
A person who behaves badly or dishonestly yet is often liked by others
  • noun
  • /roʊɡ/
: pícaro
  • He was considered a charming rogue who could get away with almost anything.
  • rogues' gallery
  • a true rogue
  • called a rogue

You know, can a rogue be a good guy?

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Examples

  • Though he had a substantial bit of the rogue in him, he was nonetheless a responsible rogue.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • You know, can a rogue be a good guy?

  • So I come across these rogue cops and these guys are no good.

  • This was a case where a rogue employee went and stole this information.

  • Speaker, it turns out there never was just one rogue reporter.

  • He was quite a rogue in his time, your father.

  • I was a movie star, a poet, a rogue, a racehorse: I was anything but myself.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the rogue Royals, they just wanted to be free.

  • I must say, I don't think I belong with these rogues.

  • By nightfall, he tracked down his rogue Gallic allies.

Synonyms

crook
vsrogue
  • Offensive
153 3.9

A dishonest person who cheats or steals

can mean a charming rule breaker rather than an actual criminal
weasel
vsrogue
  • Offensive
64 7.9

A person who is sneaky and dishonest, often trying to trick others

is more often likable or playful rather than sneaky and evasive
knave
vsrogue
  • Offensive
14 9.9

A dishonest person who tricks or harms other people

is more likely to suggest playful charm than harsh villainy
scalawag
vsrogue
  • Offensive
2 9.9

A dishonest person who cheats or tricks other people

is often used for a likeable or charming wrongdoer rather than pure insult
varlet
vsrogue
  • Offensive
1 9.9

An old word for a dishonest person who tricks others

is the same idea but used in everyday modern speech with charm
rogue of the deepest dye
vsrogue
  • Offensive
9.9

A person who is very dishonest and cannot be trusted

is less extreme and may suggest charm or playful badness instead

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

38 3.9

A person who is honest and has strong moral values

Idioms

9.9

A person who is very dishonest and cannot be trusted

Compounds

rogue state
  • Literature
8 7.7

A country that breaks international rules and ignores agreements

rogue nation
  • Literature
4 7.7

A country that ignores rules between countries and behaves dangerously

An elephant that has left its herd and acts dangerously

How Dishonest

villain
272 3.3
scoundrel
  • Offensive
51 6.5
rogue
129 5.9
rascal
  • Informal
54 3.5

Surface Forms

rogue singular
rogues plural

Etymology

Rogue began as a word for a beggar or dishonest person in old French who tricked others or broke the rules. So today a rogue is a person who behaves badly or dishonestly, often in a charming or likeable way.