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roguish

roguish

3 6.7
Showing playful, friendly mischief
  • adjective
  • /ˈroʊɡɪʃ/
translation icon : pícaro
  • Green Arrow was precisely a happy medium between the relentlessness of the Punisher and the cautiousness of the Vigilante, a man with a roguish, devil-may-care attitude but also a mission of justice.

Hermes represents being a messenger, but also being kind of a roguish thieving guy, you know.

Examples

  • Ray asked, a roguish tilt to his eyebrows.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • But Mary Eliza put an end to Angus's roguish ways; indeed, she did.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I think it makes you look roguish.

  • And now he is smiling, though there is something roguish in his eyes.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Though he remained in office, Clinton paid a heavy price for his roguish ways.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I figured the whole breaking and entering thing made me seem charming, roguish.

  • Braden always responded to the women he met with a roguish smile.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • "You know," he said, favoring Heliya with a roguish smile, "with emperor penguins, the mothers go off and hunt for food."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • Maid Marian smiled, showing sly dimples, looking as merry and roguish as the outlaws who worshipped her.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • He flashed a roguish grin that made everyone around him laugh.

Synonyms

wicked
vsroguish
61 4.0

Behaving in a naughty, playful way that annoys others

keeps playfulness but is more charming and less purely naughty
cheeky
vsroguish
  • Informal
33 4.8

Being rude in a playful way that shows little respect

leans more toward charming mischief rather than blunt impudence
saucy
vsroguish
  • Informal
21 5.8

Being playful and a little rude in a way that teases people

keeps playfulness but with more charm and less disrespect
mischievous
vsroguish
19 3.5

Causing playful trouble that is not harmful

adds a charming, slightly cheeky quality to that playful trouble
devilish
vsroguish
17 4.4

Being very naughty in a playful, clever way

keeps charm and playfulness but less overtly wicked or bold
impish
vsroguish
6 6.1

Playfully naughty in a way that teases others

is more charmingly cheeky rather than simply annoying or naughty
puckish
vsroguish
2 8.4

Being playful in a slightly naughty, teasing way

is similar but emphasizes charm and cheekiness more
rascally
vsroguish
  • Informal
1 6.8

Playful and mildly naughty in a way that makes people laugh

is similar but softer and more cheeky than bold appeal
chippy
vsroguish
  • UK
1 7.7

Being lively and cheerful, often a little cheeky

is more playfully mischievous and charming than just cheerful
kittenish
vsroguish
1 7.3

Having a playful and slightly flirty way

is more about cheeky charm than overt flirtation or play
waggish
vsroguish
  • Literature
1 8.0

Playful and teasing in a light, joking way

is more mischievous and charming rather than purely joking
pícaro
vsroguish
  • Literature
9.9

Playfully naughty in a way that shows teasing or flirtation

is like this but more generally mischievous rather than flirtatious
pixieish
vsroguish
8.2

Being playful and slightly naughty like a small friendly fairy

is broader, focusing on charming cheekiness rather than elfin looks
scampish
vsroguish
6.3

Acting playful and slightly naughty, often doing small harmless tricks

is more about charming cheekiness than simply being a rascal
arch
vsroguish
  • Literature
7.9

Playfully teasing in a sly way

is similar but focuses more on friendly mischievous charm
bantering
vsroguish
  • Informal
5.7

Friendly teasing that makes people laugh

is similar but shows more physical or broader mischievous charm
larky
vsroguish
  • UK
7.4

Playful and silly in a way that makes people laugh

adds a cheeky, charming edge to that simple playful fun
corky
vsroguish
7.0

Lively and slightly odd in a way that makes people smile

is more directly mischievous and cheeky rather than merely odd

Antonyms

452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

Compounds

A playful, slightly naughty charm that makes someone attractive

A look on the face that shows playful, slightly naughty charm

A playful, slightly naughty smile that shows someone is teasing

How Playful

impish
6 6.1
roguish
3 6.7
playful
79 1.6
cheeky
  • Informal
33 4.8

Surface Forms

roguish positive

Morphology

roguish = rogue (semi-transparent) = rogue + ish

Formed with the productive suffix '-ish' meaning 'like' or 'characteristic of', but the adjective often has a softer, playful/charming nuance compared with the noun 'rogue'.

Etymology

The word roguish comes from rogue (a word for a playful or dishonest person) plus the ending -ish, which means 'like'. So roguish means 'a little like a rogue' — cheeky, mischievous, and often charming.