as in corrupt
having or showing lowered moral character or standards
within a few short years their rakish son had squandered the family fortune on hard liquor and fast cars
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rakish
Like the rakish characters in La Piscine, those in Last Summer are caught in a folie à plusieurs, where the idyllic, island setting seems to arouse their worst impulses.
—
Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Louvers in the rakish glass hatch instantly recall the classic split-window Sting Ray of 1963, the one-year-only styling created by GM designer Larry Shinoda, the son of Japanese immigrants.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 25 June 2025
However, larger dogs will struggle for headroom because of the BYD Sealion 7’s rakish roofline.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The rakish womanizer has mellowed with age only insofar as he’s graduated from dating 20ish models to a 20ish poet, healer and model.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rakish
Erik Morse, Vogue, 26 June 2025
Louvers in the rakish glass hatch instantly recall the classic split-window Sting Ray of 1963, the one-year-only styling created by GM designer Larry Shinoda, the son of Japanese immigrants.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 25 June 2025
However, larger dogs will struggle for headroom because of the BYD Sealion 7’s rakish roofline.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
The rakish womanizer has mellowed with age only insofar as he’s graduated from dating 20ish models to a 20ish poet, healer and model.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for rakish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rakish
Adjective
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After decades when Ukraine was seen as one of the most corrupt countries in the world, cleaning up its government has been held up as the most important condition for Kyiv to join the European Union and integrate more broadly with the West.—
Olena Harmash,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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Lunn’s brand of reform disrupted the corrupt and complacent, empowered talent without regard to political allegiance, and relentlessly focused on the common good of his constituents.—
Time,
Time,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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In the kitchen, opt for glass and stainless-steel containers, and throw away degraded plastic tools.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
7 July 2025
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Shot on low-grade digital cameras that made every image look even more apocalyptic and degraded, the film remains utterly terrifying, boasting excellent supporting turns from Naomie Harris and Brendan Gleeson as Jim’s fellow survivors.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Kids get hurt and get sick, like anyone else; every year, a few in the practice battle life-threatening illness, often cancer.—
Joshua Rothman,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
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Mission Viejo raced to the title while playing without wide receiver Vance Spafford (sick), cornerback Jeron Jones (fractured wrist), safeties Sawyer Thomson (knee) and Zachary Foeldi (knee) and wide receiver Max Markofski (hip).—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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The extravagant, dissolute life Prince Albert II of Monaco continues to bolster arguments of those who think that hereditary monarchies should not be allowed to exist in the 21st century.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
18 June 2025
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Nick, a prequel to the original, offers us Carraway’s backstory as a soldier in World War I and a wanderer trying to find his way in a dissolute world.—
Danielle Teller,
People.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Republicans are right to be terrified with their prospects in November 2025 and 2026; there is going to be a major reckoning for their chaotic, crooked, and extreme governance.—
James Skoufis,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 July 2025
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National reporters and true crime junkies dug in, while local officials — already lacquered in scandal — looked so crooked a frame job seemed not just possible but probable.—
Tom Blakely,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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The dish is finished with a decadent, spicy cream sauce formulated with Calabrian chilis, garlic, butter, white wine, cream and marinara.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 July 2025
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The September 2023 trip included a decadent state dinner at Versailles in Paris, where the Queen glowed in a caped Dior couture gown and sapphire jewelry from the King George VI Sapphire Suite.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rakish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rakish. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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