RASCAL Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

rascal

noun

ˈra-skəl

Definition of rascal

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

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

Noun

Johnson said a teenager present in the courtroom was the foster child at the center of allegations that Deutsch traded her for a monkey.

— Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026
Jebreal clarified that Jeffries reminded her of the three wise monkeys, who cannot hear, see, or speak, but her comment was quickly denounced by Democrats.

— Carter Schroppe, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of monkey

Noun

There are no villains in Possible Love; there are only people who are aware of others, and people who are not.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
The former Democratic speaker was the longtime villain, a mainstay in ads as Republicans linked Democratic candidates to her to paint them as radical and out of touch.

— James A. Downs, The Washington Examiner, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of villain

Noun

In January, Watts was a guest on actor Rainn Wilson’s podcast, where Watts played devil’s advocate to Wilson’s skeptic about casual use of mind-altering substances.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
Researchers have also documented the phenomenon in dogs, Tasmanian devils, and some kinds of clams and other shellfish.

— Adam Cohen, Oklahoman, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of devil

Noun

Most sportsmen wonder how any whitetail bucks, let alone a brute such as Kontras’, could have been so easily patterned.

— Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of brute

Noun

Similarly, Zo — seen recently as the monster hunter in Na Hong-jin’s delirious sci-fi action epic, Hope — stays for most of the running time just the right side of smug entitlement.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
Having created this monster, Hansen now has to feed it; going up against Lost, To Catch a Predator needs to best itself every week.

— Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of monster

Noun

One of the best Saturday morning traditions during college football season is not only watching ESPN's best program on the network, College Gameday, but seeing the hilarious, savage, and unique signs fans put together each week.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Manson and his followers evaded police for months but were eventually arrested and charged in the savage slayings in December 1969.

— Lynsey Eidell, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of savage

Noun

Most crimes across Mexico went unsolved, and authorities sometimes appeared to be colluding with criminals instead of fighting them.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Keeping email, downloads and everyday web activity away from that machine reduces the opportunities criminals have to reach it.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of criminal

Noun

But as with any good Leonard story, the best moments come from the characters, a rogues’ gallery of violent ruffians and neurotic, duplicitous scoundrels.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026
Hawks is the grounding force of Zero Company, the down-to-Earth scoundrel that keeps everyone humble.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of scoundrel

Browse Nearby Words

rarity

rascal

rascality

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“Rascal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rascal. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of rascal

noun

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