Meaning & use
roguishly
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Meaning
adverbnot comparableliterary
In a playful, slightly naughty way that is more charming than harmful.
Grammar: Describes how someone acts or looks, usually with verbs like grin, wink or smile.
Patterns
- grin roguishly
- smile roguishly at someone
He winked roguishly at the waiter and ordered a second dessert.
She tilted her hat roguishly and strolled into the party.
The old sailor grinned roguishly as he told the tall tale.
Common combinations
- grin roguishly
- The boy grinned roguishly when his sister found the frog in her bag.
- smile roguishly
- She smiled roguishly and handed back the stolen pen.
- wink roguishly
- Grandpa winked roguishly before slipping us extra candy.
- roguishly handsome
- The actor was roguishly handsome with his untidy hair and crooked smile.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mischievously
- Mischievously is the everyday choice and applies to children and pranks, while roguishly adds a touch of charm and swagger.
- impishly
- Impishly suggests small, child-like pranks, whereas roguishly feels more grown-up and flirtatious.
- cheekily
- Cheekily implies slight disrespect or boldness, and is more common in British English.
- slyly
- Slyly suggests secrecy and cunning, but roguishly is openly playful.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: roguishly or ruthlessly?
roguishly vs ruthlessly
Ruthlessly means without pity or mercy. It describes cruelty, whereas roguishly describes charming mischief.
Practice
Which sentence uses roguishly correctly?
Choose one answer.
Roguishly describes playful mischief in someone's manner, as in a grin. It does not suit a sentence or a storm, and the third option has no verb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “roguishly”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.