as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
within a few short years their rakish son had squandered the family fortune on hard liquor and fast cars
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rakish
Top 5 Can’t Miss Tequila here is made for sipping—at rakish cantinas, ambitious cocktail bars, and straight from the source on a distillery tour.
—
David Shortell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Historical trappings aside, the role marks a departure from the rakish George Wickham or anyone he’s portrayed before.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
In addition, Schwartzman portrays Burton, a rakish vampire leading a cloistered life in an Upper West Side penthouse, while Bogosian plays Daniel Molloy, and Kirk is Talamasca agent Raglan James.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
The former is the nerdier, more officious type in his bow tie and sport coat, the latter more rakish, a one-time rabble rouser who’s just happy to have something interesting to do.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rakish
David Shortell, Travel + Leisure, 28 Sep. 2025
Historical trappings aside, the role marks a departure from the rakish George Wickham or anyone he’s portrayed before.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025
In addition, Schwartzman portrays Burton, a rakish vampire leading a cloistered life in an Upper West Side penthouse, while Bogosian plays Daniel Molloy, and Kirk is Talamasca agent Raglan James.
—Lynette Rice, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025
The former is the nerdier, more officious type in his bow tie and sport coat, the latter more rakish, a one-time rabble rouser who’s just happy to have something interesting to do.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rakish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rakish
Adjective
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Other methods of sneaking contraband into a prison include throwing it over a facility’s fence, coordinating through the mail and, in some cases, involving corrupt corrections officers.—
Taylor Galgano,
CNN Money,
3 May 2026
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Assessor Gus Kramer stayed in office when a jury deadlocked on a civil grand jury accusation of willful or corrupt misconduct in office.—
East Bay Times editorial,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Its allies Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are degraded but functioning, with Israel still regularly launching strikes at both.—
Sam Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
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The former housekeeper for Jenner further claims that she was mocked for her accent and degraded.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that operates the ship, said the two sick people on board were crew members who required urgent medical are.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
-
There are 88 passengers — including one who has died — and 61 crew members, two of whom are sick, onboard, the operator said Monday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
4 May 2026
Adjective
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Dane receives more screen time, but his dissolute, oft-drunk character is hard to watch knowing the actor’s offscreen battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.—
Carla Meyer,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
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Ian Littleworth’s Happy, the dissolute son always looking for an easy way out, seems unsettled not only in his bearings but in his command of the script.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The crooked lawyer, played by Bridget Regan, on ABC's police procedural series, died in the penultimate episode of Season 8 in a dramatic cliffhanger ahead of next week's finale.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The willow out front, where the children used to play, was thick and crooked with age.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
La beauté bizarre of the Lobster Boy is decadent.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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The fresh oranges garnishing the top of this decadent layer cake top off a citrus confection that practically begs for a second slice.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rakish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rakish. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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