# rogue

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɹəʊɡ/ · frequency rank #8,479

## Definitions
1. A scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person.
2. A mischievous scamp.
3. A vagrant.
4. Malware that deceitfully presents itself as antispyware.
5. An aggressive animal separate from the herd, especially an elephant.
6. A horse, mule, or donkey that is difficult to control; a refractory horse, especially a racehorse.
7. A plant that shows some undesirable variation.
8. A character class focusing on stealthy conduct.

## Etymology
Uncertain. From either:
* Earlier English roger (“a begging vagabond who pretends to be a poor scholar from Oxford or Cambridge”), possibly from Latin rogō (“I ask”).
* Middle French rogue (“arrogant, haughty”), from Old Northern French rogre (“aggressive”), from Old Norse hrokr (“excess, exuberance”), for which see Icelandic hroki (“arrogance”), though OED does not document this.
* Celtic; see Breton rog (“haughty”).

## Easily confused with
- **rue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rue)
- **rose** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rose)
- **Rome** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rome)
- **rope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rope)
- **Rowe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rowe)
- **rout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rout)
- **roux** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-roux)
- **rote** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rote)
- **rove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rove)
- **route** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-route)
- **rouge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rouge)
- **Rosie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rosie)
- **Royce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-royce)
- **rouse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rouse)
- **Rouen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rouen)
- **Rolfe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-rolfe)
- **roque** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rogue-vs-roque)
- **roe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/roe-vs-rogue)
- **Rog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rog-vs-rogue)
- **rage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/rage-vs-rogue)

## Common misspellings (5)
`orgue`, `rgoue`, `rogeu`, `roggue`, `rrogue`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/rogue