rogue
gb/ɹˈoʊɡ/ us/ɹˈoʊɡ/
B2
English
~ 7600
csirkefogó, gazember, szélhámos, szabályszegő, renitens, törvényszegő, csordájától elszakadt elefánt, kóborló vadállat, kiszelektál, idegenel, kigyomlál
NOUN
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a rogue [person/character]
The novel follows a charming rogue who survives by cheating at cards.
A regény egy elbűvölő szélhámosról szól, aki kártyacsalásból él.
He’s a bit of a rogue, but everyone in the village loves him anyway.
Egy kis csirkefogó, de a faluban mégis mindenki szereti.
The company finally cut ties with the rogue who had been stealing from clients.
In the film, she falls for a handsome rogue with a dangerous past.
That little rogue stole my sandwich when I wasn’t looking.
Learner examples
Everyone says he is a rogue, but he is fun to be with.
Mindenki azt mondja róla, hogy csirkefogó, de jó vele lenni.
The police arrested a rogue who was running a fake website.
A rendőrség letartóztatott egy szélhámost, aki hamis weboldalt működtetett.
Her uncle is a lovable rogue who always tells wild stories.
The village has one local rogue who plays tricks on tourists.
People in the town know he is a rogue and do not trust him with money.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "rogue" with "rouge" (a type of makeup). "Rogue" has a hard /g/ sound and refers to a person or thing; "rouge" is pronounced like "roozh" and is used for red or pink makeup for the face.
Meaning
dishonest or mischievous person
Collocations
lovable rogue
|charming rogue
|a bit of a rogue
|political rogue
|local rogue
|comic rogue
Synonyms
scoundrel (Stronger and more negative; suggests serious dishonesty or immorality without the playful or charming side that "rogue" can have.)
|
rascal (Usually lighter and more playful; often used for children or harmless adults, while "rogue" can also suggest more serious bad behavior.)
Antonyms
upstanding citizen (Emphasizes a person who obeys the law and follows social rules, the opposite of the unprincipled behavior suggested by "rogue".)
|
honest person (Highlights truthfulness and reliability, opposed to the cheating or tricking behavior of a rogue.)
Themes
people
|character
|morality
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who does not follow the rules and may lie or cheat, sometimes in a way that seems playful or charming.
A person who behaves in a dishonest, unprincipled, or disruptive way, sometimes in a way that others find amusing or charming rather than seriously harmful.
C1
2
Usage pattern:
a rogue [person/thing/organization]
Authorities are investigating how a rogue trader lost billions of dollars in secret deals.
A hatóságok azt vizsgálják, hogyan okozhatott egy szabályszegő tőzsdei kereskedő több milliárd dolláros veszteséget titkos ügyletekkel.
The government called the country a rogue state for ignoring international agreements.
A kormány latorállamnak nevezte az országot, amiért az semmibe vette a nemzetközi megállapodásokat.
Scientists are studying a rogue wave that appeared without warning and hit the ship.
The company shut down the system after detecting rogue software on its servers.
The film imagines a future where a rogue AI decides humans are a threat.
Learner examples
The news talked about a rogue cop who broke the law.
A hírek egy törvényt sértő rendőrről szóltak.
The bank lost money because of one rogue trader.
A bank egyetlen szabályszegő tőzsdei kereskedő miatt veszített pénzt.
They worry that a rogue state could use nuclear weapons.
The engineers tried to remove the rogue program from the network.
People are afraid of a rogue AI that humans cannot control.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "rogue" as a verb in this sense (e.g. *"He rogued the system"*). In this meaning, "rogue" is an adjective: you say "a rogue system" or "the system went rogue," not "to rogue the system."
Meaning
uncontrolled or rule-breaking
Collocations
rogue cop
|rogue trader
|rogue state
|rogue employee
|rogue AI
|rogue wave
Synonyms
uncontrolled (Focuses more on lack of control than on breaking rules; "rogue" often includes both ideas.)
|
lawless (Stronger and more legal; suggests clear breaking of laws, while "rogue" can be used more broadly for any rule-breaking or abnormal behavior.)
Antonyms
law-abiding (Describes a person or group that follows laws and rules, opposite to the rule-breaking nature of something "rogue".)
|
controlled (Emphasizes being under control or supervision, the opposite of a "rogue" element acting independently.)
Themes
law
|politics
|technology
|risk
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Acting in a way that is not allowed, not controlled, or very different from what is normal, often causing problems or danger.
Behaving in an independent, uncontrolled, or dishonest way that breaks rules, laws, or normal patterns, especially within an organization or system.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
3
Usage pattern:
a rogue [elephant/animal]
Villagers reported that a rogue elephant had destroyed several homes near the forest edge.
A falusiak jelentették, hogy egy csordájától elszakadt elefánt több házat is lerombolt az erdő szélén.
Park rangers were forced to track the rogue animal after it attacked tourists on the trail.
A parkőrök kénytelenek voltak a kóborló állat nyomába eredni, miután az turistákra támadt az ösvényen.
The documentary showed how a young male can become a rogue when pushed out of the herd.
Conservation officers tranquilized the rogue bull before relocating it to a safer area.
Researchers are studying what causes some elephants to turn rogue.
Learner examples
A rogue elephant walked into the village and broke many houses.
Egy csordájától elszakadt elefánt besétált a faluba, és sok házat lerombolt.
The park has a problem with one rogue animal that attacks people.
A parkban gondot okoz egy kóborló vadállat, amely emberekre támad.
They moved the rogue bull to a different area.
The film showed how a young elephant became a rogue after leaving the herd.
Hunters were afraid of the rogue elephant in the forest.
Meaning
aggressive solitary wild animal
Collocations
rogue elephant
|rogue bull
|rogue animal
|rogue male
Synonyms
solitary bull (Used mainly for male animals like elephants; focuses on being alone, while "rogue" also stresses dangerous behavior.)
|
dangerous animal (General phrase; does not include the idea of living apart from the group that "rogue" implies.)
Antonyms
tame animal (Describes an animal that is used to humans and not dangerous, opposite to a "rogue" animal.)
|
herd animal (Focuses on living in a group, unlike a rogue animal that has left the group.)
Themes
animals
|nature
Definition
A wild animal, usually a big male like an elephant, that lives away from the group and is very dangerous or attacks without warning.
A usually adult male wild animal, especially an elephant, that has left its group and behaves aggressively or unpredictably toward humans or other animals.
VERB
C2
TECHNICAL
4
Usage pattern:
to rogue [plants/animals] out of [a field/group]
Inspectors will rogue out any diseased plants before the crop is certified.
Az ellenőrök a növényállomány minősítése előtt kiszelektálnak minden beteg növényt.
Farm workers spent the week roguing the seed field to maintain purity.
A mezőgazdasági munkások egész héten a nem megfelelő növényeket távolították el a vetőmagtermő tábláról, hogy megőrizzék a fajtatisztaságot.
To control the infection, growers must rogue affected plants as soon as they see symptoms.
The breeding program requires farmers to rogue off-types every season.
They hired extra labor to rogue the field before flowering.
Learner examples
The farmer must rogue out sick plants from the field.
A gazdának el kell távolítania a beteg növényeket a tábláról.
Workers rogue the seed field to keep the crop pure.
A munkások kiszelektálják a nem megfelelő növényeket a vetőmagtermő tábláról, hogy fajtatiszta maradjon a termés.
They decided to rogue all plants that looked weak.
Experts told the farmer to rogue any plants with yellow leaves.
If you do not rogue bad plants, the whole crop can get sick.
Meaning
remove nonstandard plants/animals
Collocations
rogue out plants
|rogue a field
|rogue diseased plants
|rogue off-types
Synonyms
weed out (Informal agricultural and general use; similar idea of removing unwanted items, while "rogue" is more technical.)
|
remove (Very general; does not include the idea of removing items that fail to meet a standard.)
Antonyms
keep (To leave plants or animals in place, opposite of removing them by roguing.)
|
plant (Adds new plants to a field, the opposite process to removing them as you rogue.)
Themes
agriculture
|biology
|nature
|science
Definition
To take away plants (or animals) from a group or field because they are sick, bad, or not the kind you want.
To remove plants or, less often, animals from a group, field, or breeding stock because they are diseased, unwanted, or do not meet the required standard.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rogue
IPA
GB/ɹˈoʊɡ/
US/ɹˈoʊɡ/
Syllables & stress
rogue (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rogue)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: rogue
Noun
- Base: rogue
- Plural: rogues
Word family
Forms
rogues
noun
Related words
roguish
adjective
Advanced or less common
roguishly
adverb
roguishness
noun
Expressions
a bit of a rogue
1/ə bˈɪt əv ə ɹˈoʊɡ/
fixed phrase
informal
slightly naughty or mischievous person
Someone who is a little bad or does not always follow the rules, but usually in a light or playful way.
Examples
- He’s a bit of a rogue, but his friends accept him as he is.
- People say she’s a bit of a rogue when it comes to money.
- The dog is a bit of a rogue and often steals food from the table.
go rogue
1/ɡˈoʊ ɹˈoʊɡ/
idiom
start acting independently and wildly
To begin acting alone and not following the rules, plan, or orders, often in a surprising or risky way.
Examples
- The agent went rogue and started working for himself.
- Some users worry that the robot could go rogue and ignore human commands.
- One of the developers went rogue and leaked the code to a competitor.
lovable rogue
1/lˈʌvəbəl ɹˈoʊɡ/
fixed phrase
charming but badly behaved person
Someone who lies, cheats, or breaks rules but is still liked because they are fun or charming.
Examples
- He built his career playing the lovable rogue in romantic comedies.
- Her grandfather was a lovable rogue who always had a funny story ready.
- The show’s main character is a lovable rogue who steals from the rich.
rogue AI
1/ɹˈoʊɡ ˈeɪ ˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
uncontrolled artificial intelligence system
An artificial intelligence (AI) program that does not follow human orders or goals and acts in a dangerous or unwanted way.
Examples
- The movie imagines a rogue AI trying to wipe out humanity.
- Engineers are working on ways to shut down any rogue AI quickly.
- Many headlines warn about the risk of a future rogue AI.
rogue cop
1/ɹˈoʊɡ kˈɑp/
fixed phrase
police officer who breaks rules
A police officer who does not follow the law or police rules and may do illegal or violent things.
Examples
- The story follows a rogue cop who decides to take justice into his own hands.
- Officials promised to investigate reports of a rogue cop in the district.
- The community demanded action after a rogue cop was filmed beating a suspect.
rogue elephant
1/ɹˈoʊɡ ˈɛləfənt/
fixed phrase
technical
aggressive solitary male elephant
A fully grown male elephant that lives alone away from the group and can be very dangerous.
Examples
- Villagers were warned to stay indoors because of a rogue elephant nearby.
- The documentary followed a rogue elephant that had attacked several farms.
- Rangers tried to guide the rogue elephant back toward a protected area.
rogue gene
1/ɹˈoʊɡ d͡ʒˈin/
fixed phrase
technical
gene that behaves abnormally
A gene that does not work in the normal way and causes illness or other problems in the body.
Examples
- Scientists identified a rogue gene linked to early-onset cancer.
- The study suggests that a single rogue gene can disrupt brain development.
- Doctors are searching for treatments that can switch off the rogue gene.
rogue planet
1/ɹˈoʊɡ plˈænət/
fixed phrase
technical
free-floating planet in space
A planet that does not go around a star, but moves alone through space.
Examples
- Astronomers discovered what appears to be a rogue planet drifting through our galaxy.
- Some scientists think rogue planets may be more common than stars.
- A rogue planet passing near our solar system could disturb the outer orbits.
rogue state
1/ɹˈoʊɡ stˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
country that breaks international rules
A country that does not follow international rules and often acts in a dangerous or aggressive way toward other countries.
Examples
- The regime was labeled a rogue state after it tested new missiles.
- Sanctions were imposed to pressure the rogue state to change its behavior.
- Diplomats argued over whether the country should still be called a rogue state.
rogue wave
1/ɹˈoʊɡ wˈeɪv/
fixed phrase
technical
sudden unusually large ocean wave
A very large and sudden ocean wave that appears without warning and is much bigger than the other waves around it.
Examples
- The ship was damaged after being hit by a rogue wave.
- Scientists now have better tools to detect rogue waves at sea.
- Sailors told stories of rogue waves long before they were proven real.
rogues' gallery
1/ɹˈoʊɡz ɡˈælɚi/
fixed phrase
collection of images of criminals
A group of pictures or images showing criminals or people who are strongly disliked; sometimes used jokingly for any group of unpleasant people.
Examples
- The police kept a rogues' gallery of local criminals on the wall.
- The article showed a rogues' gallery of politicians involved in the scandal.
- Her phone contact list was a rogues' gallery of ex-boyfriends, she joked.
rogue trader
1/ɹˈoʊɡ tɹˈeɪdɚ/
fixed phrase
uncontrolled or illegal financial trader
A worker at a bank or company who secretly buys and sells in very risky or illegal ways, without permission, and can lose a lot of money.
Examples
- The bank collapsed after a rogue trader hid huge losses.
- The bank lost billions of dollars because of a rogue trader in its derivatives division.
- New rules were introduced to stop rogue traders from taking such risks.
- New controls were introduced after a rogue trader hid huge losses from management.
- The film is based on the true story of a famous rogue trader.