rascal
English · Thesaurus
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rascal¹
- /ˈɹɑːskl̩/ UK
- /ˈɹæskl̩/ US
Rhymes with -ɑːskəl, -æskəl
Where it comes from
Recorded since c.1330, as Middle English rascaile (“people of the lowest class, rabble of an army”), derived from 12th century Old French rascaille (“outcast, rabble”) (modern French racaille), perhaps from rasque (“mud, filth, scab, dregs”), from Vulgar Latin *rasicō (“to scrape”). The singular form is first attested in 1461; the present extended sense of "low, dishonest person" is from early 1586.
noun rascals
-
A dishonest person; a rogue, a scoundrel, a trickster.
Tuc[ca]. […] Can thy Author doe it impudently enough? / Hiſt[rio]. O, I warrant you, Captaine: and ſpitefully inough too; he ha's one of the moſt ouerflowing villanous wits, in Rome. He will ſlander any man that breathes; If he diſguſt him. / Tucca. I'le know the poor, egregious, nitty Raſcall; and
Similar: villain
-
A cheeky person or creature; a troublemaker.
That little rascal bit me!
Similar: devil
- A member of a criminal gang.
Similar: imp, mischief-maker, scamp, scoundrel
adjective more rascal · most rascal
- Low; lowly, part of or belonging to the common rabble.
Rascal²
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: rapscallion, scamp, rogue, scallywag, scalawag, varlet, knave, imp, monkey, scapegrace, scoundrel, vaurien, naughty, lowlife, brat, badass
noun
Similar: imp, mischief-maker, scamp, scoundrel
Translations
Every language
noun dishonest person
| Español | pícaro, bribón, trilón, canalla |
|---|---|
| Português | pilantra |
| Français | racaille |
| Deutsch | Gauner, Strolch, Bösewicht, Schurke |
noun cheeky person
| Español | pillo, pícaro, granuja |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 野郎 yarō |
| 中文 | 臭小孩兒 /臭小孩儿 chòu xiǎoháir, 小淘氣 /小淘气 xiǎotáoqì, 壞蛋 /坏蛋 huàidàn |
| हिन्दी | दुष्ट duṣṭ |
| Português | patife, canalha |
| Français | canaille, coquin, crapule, filou, fripon, fripouille |
| Deutsch | Bengel, Strolch, Schlingel, Frechdachs, Lümmel, Rabauke |
| Italiano | briccone, canaglia, manigoldo |
| Ελληνικά | κατεργάρης katergáris |
| Română | mișel, ticălos |
| Русский | него́дник negódnik, него́дница negódnica, плут plut, плуто́вка plutóvka, шельме́ц šelʹméc, ше́льма šélʹma |
| العربية | مُشَاغِب mušāḡib |
Talk about this word "rascal." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rascal. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. rascal. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rascal "rascal." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rascal.Cite this
@misc{rascal_2026,
title = {rascal},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rascal},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
