rogue

Pronunciation

• IPA: /roʊɡ/
• American: rohg

Origin

Middle English roge, probably from Old French rouge meaning "rough, rude"

Meanings

1. (noun) A dishonest or unprincipled person; a scoundrel

   • "The rogue trader lost millions of the bank's money."

2. (noun) A mischievous person; someone playfully bad

   • "He's a lovable rogue who always makes people laugh."

3. (adjective) Operating outside normal or desirable controls

   • "A rogue state that doesn't follow international laws."
   • "A rogue elephant separated from its herd."

4. (adjective) Behaving in an aberrant or unpredictable way

   • "A rogue wave appeared suddenly in the calm ocean."

Word Forms

• Adjective: rogue
• Noun: rogue
• Plural: rogues
• Related term: roguish (adjective), roguishly (adverb)

Synonyms

• (noun): scoundrel, villain, miscreant, rebel
• (adjective): maverick, uncontrolled, aberrant, unprincipled

Memory Tricks

1. Think "GO" in roGUE - someone who "goes" against rules
2. Rhymes with "vogue" - but opposite meaning (vogue is fashionable, rogue is outside norms)
3. Picture a red (rouge in French) faced villain - connecting to its possible French origin

Usage Notes

Often used in modern contexts like:

• "Going rogue" (acting independently)
• "Rogue trader" (financial industry)
• "Rogue state" (international politics)
• "Rogue element" (any aberrant part of a system)