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Glite Dictionary
roguish look

roguish look

6.4
A look on the face that shows playful, slightly naughty charm
  • noun
translation icon : mirada pícara
  • She gave him a roguish look before sneaking the last cookie from the plate.

Examples

  • He gave her a roguish look that made her smile.

  • The actor's roguish look charmed audiences in every scene of the movie.

  • With a roguish look, he suggested taking a shortcut through the forbidden garden.

  • Her roguish look made him feel intrigued.

  • The child had a roguish look on his face as he planned his next prank.

  • With a roguish look, she tried to convince him that it was her first time at the party.

  • He flashed a roguish look that made everyone around him smile.

Synonyms

saucy smile
vsroguish look
1 4.8

A playful look that shows confidence or teasing

is more charming and mischievous rather than flirtatious or confident
roguish smile
vsroguish look
5.3

A playful, slightly naughty smile that shows someone is teasing

is a charming playful facial expression used generally not limited to one mouth gesture
sidey grin
vsroguish look
  • Informal
8.9

A sly smile that shows someone knows a secret or wants to tease

is more openly charming and playful rather than slyly secretive

Antonyms

serious demeanor
1 4.6

A calm, quiet way of behaving that shows you are thinking about important things

Surface Forms

roguish look singular
roguish looks plural

Morphology

roguish + look

The meaning 'a facial expression that is playfully mischievous' is directly and compositionally derived from 'roguish' (playfully naughty/charming) + 'look' (facial expression). This adjective + noun combination follows a standard, transparent pattern that a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily understand.

Etymology

Roguish look comes from the word rogue, meaning a person who is a little naughty but charming, and the word look, meaning a face or glance. So imagine someone with a friendly, naughty smile — that picture helps explain why a roguish look today means a face that is 'playfully mischievous' or slightly 'cheeky'.