rapscallion

noun

rap-ˈskal-yən How to pronounce rapscallion (audio)
Definition of rapscallionnext
1
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person the city's run-down waterfront was occupied mostly by disreputable places frequented by drunkards and rapscallions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person that little rapscallion kept hiding my shoes and making me go look for them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rapscallion Imagine how Lowell’s most fun, most ferocious rock ‘n’ roll rapscallions will do Sabbath during their tribute set May 2 at the Smokehouse Tavern. — Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 Twin brothers, these rapscallions can be told apart by Boris’s kinked tail and the colors of their collars. — Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026 Wade now will join the renegade row of coaches at LSU, which also employs football rapscallion Lane Kiffin and women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. — Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026 Snoop Dogg, the rap rapscallion who puts the OG in Olympic Games, plopped down on a couch in the NBC green room and muted the TV. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2026 Gods of Egypt is actually told from the point of view of a young rapscallion named Bek, played by Brenton Thwaites. — Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025 Korda has declared that, because his nine sons are, frankly, nincompoops and rapscallions, Liesl will be the sole heir to his fortune. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2025 At the train station where Delta Slim performs, the rapscallion Stack reunites, uneasily, with old flame Mary (Hailee Steinfeld), who has been waiting a little too long for the charming dog who ditched her. — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapscallion
  1. villain
  2. monkey
  3. brute
  4. devil
  5. monster
  6. rascal
  7. criminal
  8. offender
Noun
  • In July, Roku made the city even more interactive with a new brand campaign that guides users to visit six themed areas featuring humorous promo spots, including a pirate ship, a volcano and a villain’s evil lair.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Still, bonus points for casting Chukwudi Iwuji as the menacing High Evolutionary, one of the oddest and most unsettling Marvel villains in recent memory.
    — EW Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • The viral reel that originated the chant features two women, who seem to be in their early 20s, dressed in casual streetwear, leading the chant while a man holds a poster depicting Modi as a little monkey.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 2026
  • In early 2025, the hospital’s ethics committee approved the clinical trial, before the final results of one of the preclinical studies on monkeys was released, Science reported.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 31 July 2026
Definition of monkey
Noun
  • Shinnecock was still a brute of a test, but the red numbers on the white scoreboard were an unfamiliar site for this course.
    — Doug Ferguson, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
  • These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Definition of brute
Noun
  • Indeed, Aston Villa, who have frequently danced with the regulatory devil, have shuttered their North Stand for redevelopment and expansion this season, taking a hit to income now in exchange for bigger returns in the future.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
  • When Bob calls him a devil for shooting his own blood, Max doesn't flinch.
    — JP Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • For additional context, the war against the Locust kicks off only a few weeks after the 79-year conflict between human factions known as the Pendulum Wars, which explains why the COG wasn't in the best of conditions when the monsters attacked.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Kuwaki was the clubhouse leader on 5-under-par when Henseleit dropped a monster 40ft putt to birdie the 18th, taking the final major of the year to a sudden-death playoff.
    — Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • Even though the Feeneys have gotten more competitive under the junior Michel’s management, the rascal-on-the-field ethos of the original team still prevails.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026
  • Not even the curmudgeonly Melvin can bring himself to harm the little rascal.
    — Camille Perri, PEOPLE, 10 June 2026
Definition of rascal
Noun
  • More than a year earlier, Arlington, Massachusetts sent four straight monthly payments totaling $446,000 to a criminal who had impersonated a real vendor and asked to switch from paper checks to electronic transfer.
    — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Do not ignore a small charge because criminals sometimes use minor transactions to test an account.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Sehnaoui's meeting with the Israeli leader occurred as some in Lebanon have called for abolishing a 1955 law that bans dealing with Israel or having contacts with Israelis and punishes offenders with up to 10 years in jail.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 July 2026
  • Because of his previous felonies, though none for violent crimes, Pfister could now be defined as a habitual offender under Michigan law and faces prison.
    — Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of offender

Browse Nearby Words

raps
rapscallion
rapscallions
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Rapscallion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapscallion. Accessed 8 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of nurture

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All