as in degradation
a sinking to a state of low moral standards and behavior
the legendary rakishness of the billionaire's overprivileged and underbred son
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Recent Examples of rakishness
The staging may occasionally bring back flashbacks of the Valentine’s Day aisle of your local pharmacy, but the gaudy rakishness seems right at home at the Pantages.
—
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022
Mr. Ellis was born in Wales, and the creators of this incoherent mess apparently hope that his accent will convey rakishness and arch sophistication.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2016
Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2022
Mr. Ellis was born in Wales, and the creators of this incoherent mess apparently hope that his accent will convey rakishness and arch sophistication.
—Neil Genzlinger, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rakishness
Noun
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This collection of poems—Orr’s thirteenth—bears bitter witness to environmental degradation, moral corruption, and the aging of a body and of a generation, all viewed from a bird’s eye, wrapped in the language and tone of myth.—
Craig Morgan Teicher,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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And a 2024 study found that a larger-than-expected proportion of physicians are leaving after fulfilling their service obligations, citing pay disparity, administrative burden, and clinical skill degradation as key drivers.—
Allison DeAngelis,
STAT,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Rubio acknowledged that the current arrangement may not be permanent, but described it as a significant departure from the corruption and patronage structures that dominated Venezuela during the Chávez and Maduro years.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
2 June 2026
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Becerra has not been accused of wrongdoing in the corruption case, though that did not stop Steyer’s campaign from suggesting he might be indicted in eleventh-hour TV ads that drew a cease-and-desist warning from Becerra’s attorney.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rakishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rakishness. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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