scapegrace

[ skeyp-greys ]

noun

1. a complete rogue or rascal; a habitually unscrupulous person; scamp.

scapegrace

/ ˈskeɪpˌɡreɪs /

noun

1. an idle mischievous person

Word History and Origins

Origin of scapegrace¹

First recorded in 1800–10; scape ² + grace

Word History and Origins

Origin of scapegrace¹

C19: from scape ² + grace , alluding to a person who lacks God's grace

Example Sentences

“Not a bit, and you never will. You’ve grown bigger and bonnier, but you are the same scapegrace as ever.”

From Literature

Let her know that she has committed a crime that can land a person behind bars; but remember, too, that this scapegrace is a teenager for now, and your daughter for always.

From New York Times

The Porters were his difficult, scapegrace father’s family; the Coles were his mother’s rich and ambitious Indiana family.

From The New Yorker

Adam Gopnik, in this magazine, argued that the Starr report could be read “as a novel in the classic tradition,” with Bill Clinton as the scapegrace hero.

From The New Yorker

I knew that what I did as a 16-year-old in Virginia would forever be a hellhound on my trail, but I hoped that I had outpaced my scapegrace.

From New York Times

Related Words

• rascal