miscreant

/ˈmɪskriənt/

Other forms: miscreants

A miscreant is a person who behaves badly — who lies, breaks the law, yells at puppies. It's a somewhat old-fashioned word, popular with old ladies shocked at having their purses stolen at the opera.

Words like miscreant, scoundrel, and good-for-nothing are used to condemn people believed to be improper or even evil. If your mom warns you that your friends are a bunch of miscreants, she's concerned that you're hanging out with the wrong kind of crowd and that you might be headed for trouble.

Definitions of miscreant

1. noun

   a person without moral scruples
   synonyms: reprobate

   types:

   degenerate, deviant, deviate, pervert

   a person whose behavior deviates from what is acceptable especially in sexual behavior

   black sheep, scapegrace

   a reckless and unprincipled reprobate

   wretch

   someone who performs some wicked deed

   fetishist

   one who engages in fetishism (especially of a sexual nature)

   masochist

   someone who obtains pleasure from receiving punishment

   nympho, nymphomaniac

   a woman with abnormal sexual desires

   paederast, pederast

   a man who has sex (usually sodomy) with a boy as the passive partner

   paedophile

   an adult who is sexually attracted to children

   sadist

   someone who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain on others

   sadomasochist

   someone who enjoys both sadism and masochism

   lech, lecher, letch, satyr

   man with strong sexual desires

   type of:

   offender, wrongdoer

   a person who transgresses moral or civil law