roguish

[ roh-gish ]

adjective

1. playfully mischievous:

   a roguish smile.

2. pertaining to, characteristic of, or acting like a rogue; knavish or unscrupulous.

roguish

/ ˈrəʊɡɪʃ /

adjective

1. dishonest or unprincipled
2. mischievous or arch

Derived Forms

• ˈroguishness, noun
• ˈroguishly, adverb

Other Words From

• ro·guish·ly adverb
• ro·guish·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of roguish¹

First recorded in 1565–75; rogue + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Earlier, on the way into her village, we drove past a jodhpur-clad gent on a horse, who gave us a roguish, charming smile.

From BBC

Some rap fans see West as a roguish outlaw who beat cancel culture.

From Los Angeles Times

In “The Crown,” he played a roguish friend of Prince Philip; he was the unreliable father of Dr. Jean Milburn’s baby on “Sex Education” and the resentful husband on Lucy Prebble’s “I Hate Suzie.”

From New York Times

“He has boyish charm and likeability, that impish, roguish element to him,” Seymour said.

From Washington Times

On the small screen, he was the roguish Titus Pullo in “Rome,” a role that really got his career going in the United States and got him a SAG card, at the age of 44.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• devilish
• impish
• playful
• sly