What does rascal mean?
A rascal is someone, especially a child, who behaves mischievously, cheekily, or defiantly. In everyday use, the word is often affectionate or amused rather than seriously condemnatory: a parent may call a child a little rascal while laughing at their latest stunt. It can also have a more formal and censorious meaning, referring to a dishonest, unscrupulous, or roguish person. The word is useful because it captures both playful misbehavior and moral disapproval, with the tone determined largely by context. “Little rascal” and “cheeky rascal” are especially established expressions. In formal writing, “rascal” is less common than “rogue,” “scoundrel,” or “reprobate,” and it may sound old-fashioned when used in its stronger sense.
nounA mischievous or impudent person, especially a child. It can also refer more generally to a dishonest or unscrupulous person.
- A mischievous or naughty person, especially a child.
- An unprincipled or dishonest person; a rogue.
"The children were little rascals who had turned the garden into a battlefield."
"That rascal has borrowed my bicycle without asking."
"The newspaper described the official as a political rascal who had manipulated the figures."
The plural is commonly used for a group of mischievous children or for several people regarded as dishonest or unruly.
"The rascals were chased out of the orchard by the gardener."
Calling someone a rascal is often affectionate: it marks mischief more than genuine wrongdoing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does rascal come from?
The word entered English through French, where it was used for a vagabond or disreputable person. Its deeper origins are associated with an Italian and Provençal term meaning a rascal or rogue. Over time, English shifted the word toward the sense of a naughty or mischievous person, especially a child.
Related word forms
How rascal is actually used
In modern English, the word is often playful or mildly approving when referring to children. In more formal or critical contexts, especially in the older sense, it may describe an unscrupulous person and carry a stronger moral condemnation.