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
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
Actual: When two rapscallion owners work together to stack a team with their best players, usually when one of the rat-bastards has been eliminated from the playoffs.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 3 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
Born on Christmas in 1899, Bogart was a rapscallion from the jump despite being born into a fairly well-off family.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
Ever since her husband died from a bee sting, the matriarch has smoothly guided her octet of rapscallions through proposals, scandals, and balloon disasters.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Klay, that other young rapscallion, is Kyle’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Niners.
—Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2024
Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Actual: When two rapscallion owners work together to stack a team with their best players, usually when one of the rat-bastards has been eliminated from the playoffs.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 3 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
Born on Christmas in 1899, Bogart was a rapscallion from the jump despite being born into a fairly well-off family.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
Ever since her husband died from a bee sting, the matriarch has smoothly guided her octet of rapscallions through proposals, scandals, and balloon disasters.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Klay, that other young rapscallion, is Kyle’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Niners.
—Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapscallion
Noun
-
As the now-45-year-old driver was announced at each racetrack in 2025, Hamlin, after years of embracing the role of villain in a sport in desperate need of one, had a heel-turn to the light.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Built into an old limestone quarry, the winery felt like a Bond villain’s secret lair—sleek, subterranean, and wildly impressive.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after opening, one such monkey perched herself at the cocktail bar.—
Jeff Chu,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Obama, as a candidate and president, was featured as a monkey or other primates on T-shirts and other merchandise.—
Bill Barrow,
Fortune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
For much of his career, Skarsgård has gravitated toward characters who weaponize physical presence — Vikings, tech titans and mythic brutes whose power is immediately legible.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
-
As usual, Lang plays the brute’s Heart of Darkness–esque descent into madness with gleeful relish.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
19 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Among the fastest-growing indoor plants is golden pathos or devil’s ivy (Epipremnum aureum).—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Sun Raha Hai sees a desperate millionaire drawn into a devil’s pact and rom-com Mismatched is back for a fourth and final season.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Clues in the snow led to the arrests of two suspects in a business break-in during last weekend’s monster storm in the Charlotte region and rest of the state, Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said in a social media post.—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The 6-8 Mendoza was a monster on Friday, scoring 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking six shots.—
John Maffei,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Of all the former rascals, Symoné has enjoyed the longest and most successful career in entertainment.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In the years since 2004’s Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, Penn’s carved out a niche embodying big-talking, attention-grabbing rascals who say inappropriate things, then shrug their way through the consequences.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s no word on ICE having a special decoder ring that tracks only the criminals.—
Tressie McMillan Cottom,
Mercury News,
7 Feb. 2026
-
Houser said that because the majority of Americans support removing serious criminals, the White House muddies the waters in an effort to maintain support for mass deportations.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Despite the wholesale change in how California sentences juvenile offenders, outrage over the crime has not faded.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
In 2024, the Associated Press reported that inmates at a Virginia facility that predominantly holds mentally ill offenders were hospitalized for hypothermia at least 13 times over the course of three years.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rapscallion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapscallion. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
