1
: having a trim or streamlined appearance suggestive of speed
a rakish ship
2
: dashingly or carelessly unconventional : jaunty
rakish clothes
Examples of rakish in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
within a few short years their rakish son had squandered the family fortune on hard liquor and fast cars
Recent Examples on the Web
Loz Blain
july 24, New Atlas, 24 July 2025
He is shorn of his rakish mustache, and a scruffy isthmus sprouts at the crown of his receding hairline.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
With law enforcement on their tail, Thelma and Louise contend with fascinating characters (including a thoroughly rakish drifter played by Brad Pitt), misogynistic biases, and their own impending fates.
—Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025
There was also plenty of head and legroom up front, and the steering wheel offered plenty of reach, but backseat passengers north of six feet struggled for space because of the HR-V’s rakish roofline.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rakish
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.
Adjective
Most models bounced around in random directions, leaving rakish tufts of long grass poking up in places where chance hadn't pointed the mower yet.
—Loz Blain
july 24, New Atlas, 24 July 2025
He is shorn of his rakish mustache, and a scruffy isthmus sprouts at the crown of his receding hairline.
—Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
With law enforcement on their tail, Thelma and Louise contend with fascinating characters (including a thoroughly rakish drifter played by Brad Pitt), misogynistic biases, and their own impending fates.
—Sophie Van Bastelaer, EW.com, 7 July 2025
There was also plenty of head and legroom up front, and the steering wheel offered plenty of reach, but backseat passengers north of six feet struggled for space because of the HR-V’s rakish roofline.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rakish
Cite this Entry
“Rakish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rakish. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Etymology
Adjective
from rake "libertine"
Adjective
from earlier rake "the amount of slope or lean of a ship's mast or the amount of overhang of a ship's bow"
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share