rascal
/ˈrɑːskl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈræskl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈra-skəl/ (ame, mw)
rascal — noun
- rascalsingular
- rascalsplural
1. someone — typically a child or young man — who plays tricks or disobeys rules bu
someone — typically a child or young man — who plays tricks or disobeys rules but is still regarded as likeable rather than malicious.
Theo is a little rascal who once put a rubber snake in the teacher's coffee cup.
noun phrase: 'a little rascal' for a child
That old rascal from the corner shop told another silly joke to the customers.
noun phrase: 'that old rascal' for an adult, affectionate tone
Marta's puppy is a lovable rascal that steals socks from the laundry basket every morning.
A couple of young rascals in the apartment building knocked on every door and ran away.
- angel
describes a perfectly behaved child
用法筆記
Commonly used with 'little', 'young', or 'old' before the noun to add affection. The speaker usually finds the behaviour funny rather than serious.
常見錯誤
2. a dishonest person who tricks others for money or personal gain and cannot be tr
a dishonest person who tricks others for money or personal gain and cannot be trusted.
The salesman turned out to be a rascal who sold fake watches to tourists near the harbour.
rascal as a dishonest swindler
A couple of rascals at the night market tried to pass off copper coins as rare antiques.
The newspaper described the landlord as a rascal who cheated poor families out of their deposits.
Historians now regard the once-admired explorer as a greedy rascal who lied about his discoveries.
用法筆記
In modern English this sense is less common than the playful sense. It appears more often in written or literary contexts, or in older texts.