picaresque

[ pik-uh-resk ]
See synonyms for picaresque on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. pertaining to, characteristic of, or characterized by a form of prose fiction, originally developed in Spain, in which the adventures of an engagingly roguish hero are described in a series of usually humorous or satiric episodes that often depict, in realistic detail, the everyday life of the common people: picaresque novel; picaresque hero.

  2. of, relating to, or resembling rogues.

Origin of picaresque

1
First recorded in 1800–10; from Spanish picaresco; see picaro, -esque

Other words for picaresque

Other words from picaresque

  • un·pic·a·resque, adjective

Words that may be confused with picaresque

Words Nearby picaresque

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use picaresque in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for picaresque

picaresque

/ (ˌpɪkəˈrɛsk) /


adjective
  1. of or relating to a type of fiction in which the hero, a rogue, goes through a series of episodic adventures. It originated in Spain in the 16th century

  2. of or involving rogues or picaroons

Origin of picaresque

1
C19: via French from Spanish picaresco, from pícaro a rogue

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012