picaresque Hear it!

picaresque Definition

pica·resque (pik′ə resk)

adjective

  1. of, like, or having to do with sharp-witted vagabonds or rogues
  2. designating or characteristic of a kind of fiction that originated in Spain and deals episodically with the adventures of a hero who is or resembles such a vagabond or rogue

Etymology: Sp picaresco < pícaro, rascal, orig. knavish, vile

picaresque Synonyms

picaresque

modif.

roguish, bold, adventurous; see brave 1.

picaresque Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • novel: Her sometime companion, a self-declared Vagabond, is also lovely - seemingly heavily based on the picaresque novels of the time.
  • adventure: The picaresque adventures of his days in Palestine had given way to a serious spiritual and intellectual quest.
  • tale: The actions of the characters show that the painting is a thematic representation of a literary motif from a picaresque tale.
  • story: This is a classic picaresque story with a lot of potential for irony.
  • life: Under numerous aliases, his picaresque life gathered strength.

Browse dictionary entries near picaresque

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