roguery

noun

ˈrō-g(ə-)rē How to pronounce roguery (audio)
Definition of roguerynext
1
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke those adolescent rogueries that seemed funny at the time—but only stupid when considered in hindsight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm the old fraternity brothers fondly recounted how their roguery used to rile the dean

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 roguery America, this is a level of pure double-dealing, roguery, and downright villainy ne’er witnessed on this television program. — Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2021 His own father, famously, had been a confidence trickster, and le Carré was therefore all too well equipped to mount a lifelong investigation into the uses of roguery, not to mention sleights of hand, some of them amounting to a national disgrace. — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2020 Trump smiled, and the dinner guests laughed at the sole acknowledgment of presidential roguery on this otherwise traditional night. — Sonia Rao, Washington Post, 20 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roguery
  1. prank
  2. mischief
  3. trick
  4. rascality
  5. adventure
  6. playfulness
  7. devilment
Noun
  • Jimmy Kimmel Fallon and Kimmel – both members of Strike Force Five – pulled off a cross-network prank in 2022.
    — Wendy Naugle, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Swatting is a criminal prank where individuals place fake calls to 911 for a specific location with the goal of getting a law enforcement response to that location.
    — Adam Sabes, FOXNews.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Police arrested 49-year-old Philip Brown on a charge of criminal mischief causing more than $1,000 in damage following a series of incidents at a local home.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In the canon of teen entertainment, boys tend to make mischief while girls give each other makeovers.
    — Judy Berman, Time, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of mischief
Noun
  • Kluivert notched a hat-trick in the 10-1 thrashing of Italy’s Genoa, with Scott, Unal (two goals each) and David Brooks scoring too.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The trick is to hold the can 8 to 10 inches away, and spray in short bursts.
    — Iman Balagam, Vogue, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Still, the pure rascality in these extravagant self-inventions shouldn’t be overlooked.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of rascality
Noun
  • Sony and Marvel’s web-slinging adventure, starring Tom Holland as the title hero, flew past the billion-dollar mark in just six days and is barreling toward $2 billion.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 9 Aug. 2026
  • And if a twist-and-go transmission is what finally gets a few scooter riders to leave the tarmac behind, then perhaps this quirky little machine has understood the spirit of adventure better than some of the segment's heavyweight icons ever did.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of adventure
Noun
  • Really, the challenge as an actor is forgetting all the playfulness, ambition and tone around it, or even the books and the research and just playing the truth of it.
    — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Affection, physical touch, flirting and playfulness become less frequent, replaced by stress, conflict and growing resentment.
    — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of playfulness
Noun
  • Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.
    — SAVEUR Editors, Saveur, 5 Feb. 2025
  • But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.
    — Eugenia Bone, WSJ, 10 July 2019
Definition of devilment

Browse Nearby Words

rogueries
roguery
rogues
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roguery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roguery. Accessed 16 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 zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All