roguishly

[ roh-gish-lee ]

adverb

1. in a playfully mischievous way:

   She smiled roguishly and tickled him before he could defend himself.

2. in a way that suggests a dangerous or unscrupulous character:

   He was roguishly handsome, with a bad-boy charm that captivated men and women alike.

Word History and Origins

Origin of roguishly¹

roguish ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

Too few people now read Walter de la Mare’s subtle, sui generis masterpiece, “Memoirs of a Midget,” or Grant Allen’s tales of a roguishly likable con man collected in “An African Millionaire.”

From Washington Post

He and his band, the Lost Planet Airmen, created an original mix of country music, jump blues, rockabilly and boogie that made them one of the most roguishly entertaining good-time bands of their era.

From Washington Post

And he joked roguishly that he and Duke were both “wizards under the sheets.”

From Washington Post

He’s a tall thirty-something Indian man in an impeccably tailored suit, roguishly handsome with a neatly trimmed beard, a steaming cup of tea, and a shiny Union Jack on his lapel.

From Literature

The young man works for the Foreign Office - or so he says - and, as portrayed by roguishly handsome Tom Burke, is both comforting and frightening at once.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• maliciously