1
as in villain
a mean, evil, or unprincipled person
the city's run-down waterfront was occupied mostly by disreputable places frequented by drunkards and rapscallions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person
that little rapscallion kept hiding my shoes and making me go look for them
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 rapscallion
Born on Christmas in 1899, Bogart was a rapscallion from the jump despite being born into a fairly well-off family.
—
Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
Ever since her husband died from a bee sting, the matriarch has smoothly guided her octet of rapscallions through proposals, scandals, and balloon disasters.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Klay, that other young rapscallion, is Kyle’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Niners.
—Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2024
Devers’s list also includes Harlond Clift, who with a name like that couldn’t have been a ballplayer, but an actor who, oh, probably portrayed a rapscallion of a love interest for Bette Davis in a series of 1930s films.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023
That rapscallion Demna Gvasalia has done it again.
—Vulture, 6 July 2022
View Photos As an out-and-out rapscallion, the quiet-riot GLI ridicules ostensibly more sporting machinery.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023
This jaunty rapscallion is one of nine built, and competed in the Mille Miglia only five days after it was delivered.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2022
Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 1 Mar. 2025
Ever since her husband died from a bee sting, the matriarch has smoothly guided her octet of rapscallions through proposals, scandals, and balloon disasters.
—Devon Ivie, Vulture, 14 June 2024
Renée Zellweger is set to return as the lovable but flailing at life Jones as is Hugh Grant as rapscallion Daniel Cleaver.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Klay, that other young rapscallion, is Kyle’s assistant quarterbacks coach with the Niners.
—Joe Nguyen, The Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2024
Devers’s list also includes Harlond Clift, who with a name like that couldn’t have been a ballplayer, but an actor who, oh, probably portrayed a rapscallion of a love interest for Bette Davis in a series of 1930s films.
—Chad Finn, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Apr. 2023
That rapscallion Demna Gvasalia has done it again.
—Vulture, 6 July 2022
View Photos As an out-and-out rapscallion, the quiet-riot GLI ridicules ostensibly more sporting machinery.
—Larry Griffin, Car and Driver, 15 Mar. 2023
This jaunty rapscallion is one of nine built, and competed in the Mille Miglia only five days after it was delivered.
—Basem Wasef, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rapscallion
Noun
-
Children meet superheroes and villains, engage with games and movies, and are greeted by staff in costume.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The soul patch, villain, and walrus facial hair all work with masks while mutton chops and chin curtain don’t.—
Lisa Wood Shapiro,
Wired News,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Just then, the view changes to reveal a terrified monkey restrained in a similar fashion.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Apr. 2025
-
While Violet is a doting mom, other monkeys in the troop also are helping keep an eye on the new addition, zoo officials said.—
Sara Schilling,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
By the end of the episode, the audience is eager to meet the antihero, the brute, that everyone is talking about.—
Maelle Beauget-Uhl,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
-
Slinging a sports coat over his pajamas, Long pulls up to a curb and finds Tay (Dustin Nguyen), the Vietnamese speaker, plus two silent brutes, Eddie (Phi Vu) and Aden (Dali Benssalah), who muscle into his car and take over everything: the seating arrangements, the air freshener and their driver.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Fire crackling in Burt’s (Christopher Walken) dining room, framing his face like a devil.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Wooly devil grows near drought-tolerant plants, including ocotillo, hedgehog cactus and creosote.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
25 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Natalie and a real-estate agent named Dawn (Danielle Brooks), in search of the missing Henry, make their way to the Overworld, too, and the four team up with Steve in a painfully generic adventure to fight off monsters, find another Crystal, save the Overworld (and Dennis), and get back home.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
9 Apr. 2025
-
The space monsters are also entirely terrifying, gestating inside young suns to hideously emerge as massive space insects.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Alex has two choices: Linger at Union Station and see what rascals cross her path, or take up an invitation to join her British guardian angels at their home in Winnetka.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
-
After their car is stolen, the group of rascals must resort to some hilarious hijinks to get past the finish line.—
Kara Nesvig,
Parents,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
-
Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Noun
-
Learning of such proactivity reminds me of how cutting-edge cybersecurity firms now use AI to go on the offensive against criminals.—
Michael Ashley,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
-
This exemption obligates the IRS to assist law enforcement in the pursuit of criminals and will be used against any migrant who has overstayed for more than 90 days as part of the carveout.—
Benjamin Siegel,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rapscallion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rapscallion. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share