rascal

noun

ˈra-skəl How to pronounce rascal (audio)
Definition of rascalnext
1
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person you little rascal, I saw you snitching some hors d'oeuvres even though our guests haven't even arrived yet

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person some cold-blooded rascal had set the barn afire

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 rascal 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 In a time when unemployment is on the rise and the rich are running amok and wreaking havoc on the poor — and the social services in place to support them — who doesn’t love the idea of rogue rascals sticking it to a bougie institution by running off with its crown jewels? — Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 12 Nov. 2025 The hilarious hijinks that ensue are centered on a rugby-playing rascal whose initial interests in pulling chicks and working get-rich-quick schemes give way to a lifelong love of writing poetry in the post-Soviet-occupation era of the 1990s. — Courtney Howard, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025 And Eli was, at times, a bit of a rascal. — David Kamp, New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rascal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rascal
  1. monkey
  2. villain
  3. devil
  4. brute
  5. monster
  6. savage
  7. criminal
  8. scoundrel
Noun
  • Another example is how birds frequently follow monkeys through forests to feed on insects disturbed by their movements.
    — Cyril Grueter, Scientific American, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The stories feature the titular George, a mischievous, tailless, almost-always-smiling monkey exploring New York City, and his human companion, the Man in the Yellow Hat.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monkey
Noun
  • The second is the idea that this is where Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch returns to the MCU after being seemingly killed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she had been turned into a full villain.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • But because Detroit chose the offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, Skubal has unwittingly become a villain around the league.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • Throughout the movie, two mentors stand over each of his shoulders like an aproned angel and devil.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026
  • There’s also a devil, all too ready to perch on his other shoulder, too.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • The show’s depiction of Hugh as a family man has been much more sympathetic than the book’s description of him as a power-hungry brute.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of brute
Noun
  • At the same time, Bernadette makes her potion and turns into a 60-foot monster, destroying Pasadena.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Major oil and gas companies around the world posted monster second-quarter profits last week amid the Iran conflict's surge in crude prices.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • For all its characteristic restraint and formal diligence, Killing Spree is a book that wants to make noise, to cut through the dead air with cries of grief and rage, undoing our own savage torpor.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Aug. 2026
  • And potentially discover treasure that will keep the savages at home from tearing the place down.
    — Barry Collins, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Even if Anna Pigeon carries a gun with cuffs, as real-life law enforcement rangers do, there's much more to the job and character than chasing down criminals.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • But Roy Cohn—an American scoundrel and the lawyer who helped send Julius and Ethel Rosenberg to the electric chair, aided Senator Joseph McCarthy in implementing the Red Scare, and showed Trump the ropes in the real-estate business—was long gone.
    — Kai Bird, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • And the surviving cartel scoundrels take the parting shot by kidnapping beloved Carter, putting a hood on him and taking the boy off.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of scoundrel

Browse Nearby Words

rarity
rascal
rascality
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Cite this Entry

“Rascal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rascal. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of rascal for Spanish Speakers

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