rakish1
/ˈreɪkɪʃ
/adjective
Having or displaying a dashing, jaunty, or slightly disreputable quality or appearance: he had a rakish, debonair look...
- Tall, with a slightly rakish appearance, as if he'd just flown in from Monte Carlo or Rio or the south of France, Mark Bradshaw turned heads everywhere he went.
- His face has a slightly rakish quality to it, his eyes gleaming with charm, and cunning.
- He arrives on the dot, his tall, dark-haired, slightly rakish figure hurrying up Petergate through the crowds.
Synonyms
dashing, debonair, sporty, jaunty, devil-may-care, breezy;
stylish, fashionable, dapper, spruce;
raffish, disreputable, louche
informal sharp
Derivatives
rakishly
/ adverb ...- He was dressed nicely in black slacks and a royal blue dress shirt with the top few buttons rakishly undone, exposing a bit of his sculpted chest.
- Just before they are about to pull a major swindle, Rockwell appears wearing an absurd Stetson tipped rakishly forward over his eyes.
- Two places away, wearing his lemon-squeezer hat far more rakishly, marched Malcolm, whom I didn't like very much.
rakishness
- He smiled and cocked his head to the side, giving the effect of rakishness.
Origin
Late 17th century: from rake2 + -ish1.
rakish2
/ˈreɪkɪʃ/adjective
(Especially of a boat or car) smart and fast-looking, with streamlined angles and curves: a rakish Chevrolet...
- Huge parking lots, which were fully packed throughout the day with scores of sleek bikes, elegant two-wheelers and rakish cars, stand forlorn and neglected with nothing but tyre tracks and fading oil leaks on the ground.
- At a glance the long-nosed, low-wing Aztec bore a very strong resemblance to Irv Dunn's departed Twin Bonanza, with the Aztec's more rakish vertical tail a distinguishing feature.
- Its rakish nose and large headlamps give it a sporty look, but the car seems to run out of styling ideas at the back end where the curved side screens give it a droopy appearance.
Origin
Early 19th century: from rake3 + -ish1.