If you call a child a scamp, you mean that they are naughty or disrespectful but you like them, so you find it difficult to be angry with them.
[informal]
Have some respect for me, you scamp!
...cheeky young scamps.
Synonyms: rascal, devil, monkey, rogue More Synonyms of scamp
scamp in British English1
(skæmp)
noun
1.
an idle mischievous person; rascal
2.
a mischievous child
Derived forms
scampish (ˈscampish)
adjective
Word origin
C18: from scamp (vb) to be a highway robber, probably from Middle Dutch schampen to decamp, from Old French escamper, from es-ex-1 + -camper, from Latin campus field
scamp in British English2
(skæmp)
verb
a less common word for skimp
Derived forms
scamper (ˈscamper)
noun
scamp in American English1
(skæmp)
noun
a mischievous fellow; rascal
Derived forms
scampish (ˈscampish)
adjective
Word origin
< obs. scamp, to roam; akin to scamper
scamp in American English2
(skæmp)
verb transitive
to make, do, or perform in a careless, inadequate way
Derived forms
scamper (ˈscamper)
noun
Word origin
akin to or < ON skammr, short < IE base *(s)em-, stunted > OE hamola, man with cropped hair
Examples of 'scamp' in a sentence
scamp
'Yeah, what good's a sorry scamp like that going to do against them lot?
Mark Mills AMAGANSETT (2004)
He turns out to be a handsome guy, but a bit of a scamp, and, of course, Effie falls for him.
Richard Wright 52449_CLARA (2004)
(noun)
Definition
a mischievous person, esp. a child
Have some respect for me, you scamp!
Synonyms
rascal
What's that old rascal been telling you?
devil
You cheeky little devil!
monkey
She's such a little monkey.
rogue
a loveable rogue
imp
I didn't say that, you little imp!
tyke (informal)
wretch
I think he's a mean-minded, vindictive old wretch.
knave (archaic)
It is difficult to believe that he is such a knave behind my back.
scallywag (informal)
pickle (British, informal)
mischief-maker
whippersnapper
toerag (slang)
scapegrace
nointer (Australian, slang)
Seesod
Nearby words of
scamp
scale something up
scaly
scam
scamp
scamper
scan
scandal
Synonyms of 'scamp'
scamp
Explore 'scamp' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of monkey
Definition
a naughty or mischievous child
She's such a little monkey.
Synonyms
rascal,
horror (informal),
devil,
rogue,
pickle (British, informal),
imp,
tyke,
scallywag,
mischief maker,
scamp,
nointer (Australian, slang)
in the sense of rogue
Definition
a mischievous person
a loveable rogue
Synonyms
scamp,
rascal,
scally (NorthwestEngland, dialect),
rapscallion,
nointer (Australian, slang)
in the sense of scapegrace
Synonyms
scamp,
rogue,
rascal,
ne'er-do-well,
scallywag (informal),
good-for-nothing,
bad lot (informal),
limb of Satan,
nointer (Australian, slang)
in the sense of wretch
Definition
a despicable person
I think he's a mean-minded, vindictive old wretch.