spalpeen
- noun
- Archaic
:
pícaro
- She laughed as the little spalpeen ran off with her hat.
Examples
-
The teacher caught the spalpeen trying to play a prank on his classmates.
-
Those two spalpeens are always getting into some kind of mischief after school.
-
That little spalpeen is always causing trouble!
-
My brother is such a spalpeen when he doesn't get his way.
-
The young boy was always getting into trouble, a real spalpeen at heart, playing pranks on his friends.
-
She couldn't help but laugh at her mischievous little brother, that cheeky spalpeen always up to something.
-
In the old stories, the spalpeen was known for his playful tricks that would leave everyone amused.
Synonyms
54
3.5
A person, often a child, who acts in a playful, naughty way
4
9.9
A person who plays tricks and causes small trouble
1
8.2
A small child who makes trouble in a playful way
1
9.6
A young person who is playful, noisy, and often breaks rules
A boy who often causes trouble and is cheeky
Antonyms
How Naughty
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word spalpeen comes from the Irish word spailpín, which meant 'a wandering farm worker' who moved from place to place. Because these workers were often poor, rough, and a little cheeky, the name became a playful insult, so spalpeen now means a mischievous or naughty person.