scapegrace

noun

ˈskāp-ˌgrās How to pronounce scapegrace (audio)
Definition of scapegracenext
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person a whoring, drunken scapegrace who was blackening the family's name

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 scapegrace Suddenly, Juliana’s romantic ennui is interrupted by the reappearance, after an 11-year absence, of her scapegrace oldest brother. — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 12 Feb. 2020 The Middle Ages died dismally, and the scapegrace poet Francois Villon sang their requiem in the wineshops of the Cité. — Bruce Dale, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019 Somehow, a theme-park ride combined with clever, madcap visuals and Johnny Depp’s scapegrace showboating added up to something fresh. — A. O. Scott, New York Times, 25 May 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scapegrace
  1. villain
  2. brute
  3. savage
  4. monster
  5. criminal
  6. devil
  7. wretch
  8. scoundrel
Noun
  • The Athletic’s hockey staff came together to identify the definitive on-ice villain for every team in the NHL.
    — Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • Em details how Alan Rickman who played Hans Gruber, one of the most iconic villains in film history, offered director John McTiernan several key ideas that improved the film.
    — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of villain
Noun
  • 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
  • These brutes commonly exceed 50 pounds.
    — Keith Sutton, Outdoor Life, 18 June 2026
Definition of brute
Noun
  • Iggy Pop’s eternal lust for life Iggy Pop’s ability to stay shirtless and savage at 79 goes beyond scientific explanation.
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026
  • Schoolchildren meet veterans from the savage fight in Ukraine.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 6 July 2026
Definition of savage
Noun
  • Pane and McKay revealed that British actor Simon Pegg will voice the Balrog, a giant demonic monster who helps Sauron forge the One Ring.
    — Laura Sirikul, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Curtis is divorced, and still carries a torch for his ex-wife (Kelsey Scott) — now the governor of Illinois and architect of an innovative monster rehabilitation program with the Candyman (as in the movies) its star participant.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 26 July 2026
Definition of monster
Noun
  • The detective-heroines (and especially the actress-detectives) in this canon are careful about how performance might be extended to social duplicity, dishonesty, and fraud—but the lady criminals of Victorian detective fiction cross this line easily.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 July 2026
  • From 1873 to 1991, the island served as Costa Rica’s principal penitentiary, where some of the country’s worst criminals were sent to serve often short and torturous sentences.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 24 July 2026
Definition of criminal
Noun
  • Daniel isn’t this devil’s only minion; Armand’s got an Illumination movie’s worth of cronies doing his bidding.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 20 July 2026
  • The scene was both serious and strange — after all, this was Vegas and a member of the Satanic temple with black devil horns affixed to the top of his head was waiting for his turn on the microphone.
    — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 16 July 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • The first time, Julian’s children (James Corden, Jessica Gunning) seemed like miserable, greedy wretches.
    — Brent Lang, Variety, 11 Apr. 2026
  • The elegant sets and lavish costume designs are stunning, as is Jacob Elordi's multi-faceted performance as the intelligent wretch stitched together from corpses.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 Dec. 2025
Definition of wretch
Noun
  • 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
  • But that just reinforces Samuel Johnson’s adage that patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of scoundrel

Browse Nearby Words

scapegoats
scapegrace
scapegraces
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Cite this Entry

“Scapegrace.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scapegrace. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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