roguish

adjective

Definition of roguishnext
as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness a roguish grin was the only sign that she had something up her sleeve for the office party

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of roguish Joe Morrow plays the roguish Sean. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026 Newsom has capably sensed what Democrats want right now, and is delivering it with a roguish charisma. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026 Acquiring sports teams and land For much of his life a partying roustabout who wooed beautiful women with a roguish charm, the lean, mustachioed sportsman married three times. — David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026 He's egged on by owner Jonathan Yu—the outward opposite to the roguish tattooed chef and the game-for-anything, sly devil on his shoulder who hides a mischievous heart behind elegant suits. — Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026 Yet Kunken gives the character a roguish charisma, in his tireless defense of American freedom, that Biniaz couldn’t help observing was arguably fictional. — Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Plans are now underway for a contemporary reimagining of the series, which saw McShane play the eponymous roguish and fourth wall-breaking antiques dealer, a likeable anti-hero with a knack for recognizing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026 The movie follows the life of feisty belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), from growing up on a plantation to her love affairs, including with roguish Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026 The main Palm Dog went to Yuri, the roguish stray at the heart of Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor’s La Perra, premiering in Directors’ Fortnight. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roguish
  1. mischievous
  2. wicked
  3. playful
Adjective
  • The bride and groom both wore custom Christian Dior looks designed by Jonathan Anderson, who’s known for elaborate, mischievous designs.
    — Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Months after Scary Movie's release, Abrahams starred as the mischievous Denny Byrnes in Meet the Parents (2000).
    — Skyler Trepel, Entertainment Weekly, 27 June 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • Has Sugar’s inherent decency become something of a moral palate cleanser for Oz’s wicked ways?
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 27 June 2026
Definition of wicked
Adjective
  • The bar program is playful, colorful and communal — expect to see a little something for everyone.
    — Blair Crosby, AJC.com, 5 July 2026
  • The playful exchange is the latest glimpse into the couple's famously candid relationship.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
Definition of playful

Browse Nearby Words

rogues
roguish
roguishness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roguish. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on roguish

Nglish: Translation of roguish for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All