as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a roguish grin was the only sign that she had something up her sleeve for the office party
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Recent Examples of roguish
The main Palm Dog went to Yuri, the roguish stray at the heart of Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor’s La Perra, premiering in Directors’ Fortnight.
—
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Acquiring sports teams and land For much of his life a partying roustabout who wooed beautiful women with a roguish charm, the lean, mustachioed sportsman married three times.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Plans are now underway for a contemporary reimagining of the series, which saw McShane play the eponymous roguish and fourth wall-breaking antiques dealer, a likeable anti-hero with a knack for recognizing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
Joe Morrow plays the roguish Sean.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Newsom has capably sensed what Democrats want right now, and is delivering it with a roguish charisma.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
He's egged on by owner Jonathan Yu—the outward opposite to the roguish tattooed chef and the game-for-anything, sly devil on his shoulder who hides a mischievous heart behind elegant suits.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Yet Kunken gives the character a roguish charisma, in his tireless defense of American freedom, that Biniaz couldn’t help observing was arguably fictional.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Autumn Springs is populated by finely wrought individuals, led by the indomitable Rose and her roguish friend Miller.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026
Acquiring sports teams and land For much of his life a partying roustabout who wooed beautiful women with a roguish charm, the lean, mustachioed sportsman married three times.
—David Bauder, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026
Plans are now underway for a contemporary reimagining of the series, which saw McShane play the eponymous roguish and fourth wall-breaking antiques dealer, a likeable anti-hero with a knack for recognizing genuine antiques from fakes or forgeries.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
Joe Morrow plays the roguish Sean.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Mar. 2026
Newsom has capably sensed what Democrats want right now, and is delivering it with a roguish charisma.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 22 Jan. 2026
He's egged on by owner Jonathan Yu—the outward opposite to the roguish tattooed chef and the game-for-anything, sly devil on his shoulder who hides a mischievous heart behind elegant suits.
—Su-Jit Lin, Southern Living, 15 Jan. 2026
Yet Kunken gives the character a roguish charisma, in his tireless defense of American freedom, that Biniaz couldn’t help observing was arguably fictional.
—Ben McGrath, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
Autumn Springs is populated by finely wrought individuals, led by the indomitable Rose and her roguish friend Miller.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for roguish
Adjective
-
His mustache is graying, but his eyes remain mischievous.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
On May 27, Netflix announced that Willa Dunn will take on the role of Nellie Oleson — Laura Ingalls’ mischievous, pot-stirring classmate — in the forthcoming Little House on the Prairie revival.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
Jones puts an exclamation point on the music — making the audience the roadies to Lestat’s wicked showman ways.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
3 June 2026
-
Every day brought a thousand little dramas, dropped lines and brilliant recoveries, missing props and onstage farts, the extramarital affair that Proteus and Julia had commenced, the gay actor’s wicked commentary on it, followed by bad behavior in bars.—
Jonathan Franzen,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
The first image in the exhibition announced the playful tenor of the oversize works, which often verged on the ludic despite the lack of spontaneity owing to the cumbersome Land Camera.—
James Quandt,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
-
Bathrooms offer floor-to-ceiling black-and-white tile and benefit from natural light, adding an unexpected touch of polish to the otherwise playful design.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Roguish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/roguish. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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