rapscallion

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2026 is: rapscallion \rap-SKAL-yun\ noun The word rapscallion refers to someone who causes trouble, often in a mischievous way. It appears in the same sorts of contexts as [rascal]( https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rascal) and [scamp](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scamp). // The movie follows the story of a rambunctious young rapscallion who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rapscallion) Examples: “Charlie Brown evolved into a world-class underdog. ‘Originally, Charlie Brown was a bit of a rapscallion, a bit of a wiseass,’ [Chris] Mautner said. ‘There is a certain point, after a year or two, when he starts to become the butt of jokes, when he starts being a lonely kid. Once [[Charles] Schulz](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Schulz) hit upon that, Charlie Brown got it pretty bad for a long time.’” — Jim Beckerman, The Record (Bergen County, New Jersey), 9 Oct. 2025 Did you know? The word rascal has been part of English since the 15th century, but it apparently failed to fully capture the disagreeable nature of the wily [knaves](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knave) of yore: by the 16th century, English speakers had expanded rascal to [rascallion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rascallion). But it seems that even that term didn’t sound quite mischievous enough. Eventually, rascallion was further altered, resulting in the snappier, [plosive](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plosive)-enhanced rapscallion. And although rapscallion has zero connection with [scallion](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scallion), it does add a figuratively spicy kick to one’s speech, not unlike [chawbacon](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chawbacon) and [other cheeky insults](https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/top-10-rare-and-amusing-insults-vol-2) that may be of interest and use.