roguishly
|ro-gu-ish-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˈroʊɡɪʃ/
🇬🇧
/ˈrəʊɡɪʃ/
(roguish)
like a rogue
Etymology
'roguishly' originates from English, specifically from the adjective 'roguish' plus the adverbial suffix '-ly', where 'roguish' comes from the noun 'rogue' meaning 'dishonest or playfully bad person' and the suffix '-ish' means 'having the quality of'.
'roguishly' changed from the noun 'rogue' to the adjective 'roguish' (rogue + -ish) and eventually became the adverb 'roguishly' by adding '-ly'.
Initially it meant 'in the manner of a rogue' (i.e., like a dishonest or vagabond person), but over time it acquired the additional sense of 'playfully mischievous' while retaining the sense of sly or dishonest behavior in some contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in a playful, mischievous, or impish manner.
He grinned roguishly and slipped a coin into the child's hand.
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Adverb 2
in a dishonest, unprincipled, or roguish manner (less common; suggests sly or unscrupulous behavior).
He looked roguishly at the unlocked register before walking away.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/12 20:05
