rakehell
/'reikhel/
Definition
Noun: A rakehell is a man, particularly one in fashionable or high society, who lives in a wild, immoral, and irresponsible way, often characterized by excessive drinking, gambling, and promiscuity. The term is archaic and carries a strong connotation of dissolute and reckless behavior.
Usage
The word rakehell is used to describe a man of dissolute character. It is an old-fashioned, literary term. * It functions as a countable noun. * It is typically used in historical or literary contexts to describe a character type.
Examples
- In the 18th-century novel, the protagonist's brother was a notorious rakehell, constantly embroiled in scandals.
- The old portraits in the manor depicted a former lord who was known as a rakehell and a gambler.
- He squandered his family's fortune living the life of a rakehell.
Advanced Usage
- The term can sometimes be used with a degree of romanticized or grudging admiration for the character's defiance of social norms, though it primarily denotes disapproval.
- It is often synonymous with the shorter term rake.
Variants and Related Words
- Rake (noun): A more common and slightly less archaic synonym for a dissolute man of fashion.
- Rakehelly (adjective, archaic): Having the qualities of a rakehell; dissolute.
- His rakehelly behavior eventually led to his ruin.
Synonyms
- Libertine
- Debauchee
- Roué
- Profligate
- Hedonist
Antonyms
- Prude
- Ascetic
- Puritan
Noun
-
a dissolute man in fashionable society
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