Definition and pronunciation
roué — noun: a man notorious for cynical, world-weary indulgence in sensual pleasures (drink, sex, nightlife), often with hints of age and jaded experience; literary/historical.
Pronunciation: /ruːˈeɪ/. Plural: roués. From French roué (“broken on the wheel”), later “shameless debauchee.”
Easy explanation
A roué is the older, jaded version of a rake: charming but worn by years of partying and affairs. Writers use it to suggest elegance mixed with moral fatigue.
Part of speech and grammar
- Countable noun: a roué; two roués.
- Typical frames: notorious roué; aging roué; cynical roué; reformed roué (trope).
Register and tone
Literary, slightly archaic, and judgmental. It signals period flavor or a critical wink rather than neutral description.
Connection to sexuality
Yes—indirectly but clearly. The word implies frequent romantic or sexual liaisons (often casual), usually alongside drink, gambling, and late nights. It doesn’t describe non-consensual acts; those require explicit terms.
Common collocations
aging roué, cynical roué, court roué, boulevard roué, notorious roué, reformed roué, world-weary roué, urbane roué, old roué
Idioms and set phrases
- old roué — set phrase emphasizing jaded age and experience.
- reformed roué — stock redemption arc in fiction.
- a roué’s progress — playful echo of “a rake’s progress.”
Prepositions and nuance
- roué of the court/era — historical setting: a roué of the Restoration.
- roué about town — active on the social circuit.
- roué in late life — stage of life focus.
These narrow context; the core meaning (jaded pleasure-seeker) stays the same.
Word comparisons
- roué vs rake — close cousins; roué skews older, more cynical.
- roué vs libertine — libertine is broader (moral license, sometimes philosophical); roué stresses dissipated experience.
- roué vs playboy — playboy suggests glossy wealth; roué suggests decadence and decline.
- roué vs debauchee/rakehell — those are harsher; roué keeps an urbane, world-weary vibe.
- roué vs womanizer/philanderer — those focus on chasing partners; roué carries style and jadedness.
Real-life examples
- The biography paints the duke as an aging roué who lived on credit and charm.
- A theater review praised the actor’s “roué’s grin” that hides exhaustion.
- The novel redeems a notorious roué by forcing him to confront the harm he caused.
- Tabloids love the label, but reporters often switch to neutral descriptions of conduct.
Sample sentences
- Critics called him an old roué, more interested in late dinners than policy.
- The film glamorizes the roué’s nightlife, then reveals its emptiness.
- He shed his roué persona and apologized for years of cavalier behavior.
- The memoir refuses to romanticize a life of the roué, centering consent and consequences.
- Gossip columns branded her partner a roué about town.
Synonyms
rake, libertine, debauchee, rakehell, profligate, lecher, womanizer, philanderer, Lothario, seducer, cad, boulevardier, sensualist, voluptuary
Antonyms
ascetic, puritan, prude, abstemious person, disciplined person, faithful partner, monogamist, moralist
Related terms
rake, rakehell, libertine, debauchery, profligacy, playboy, philanderer, bon vivant, sybarite, hedonist, boulevardier, scandal, consent, boundaries
Notes and etiquette
Because roué carries glamor and judgment, use it when you want that literary tint. In neutral or professional contexts, describe specific behaviors (multiple partners, heavy drinking) and keep consent, power, and safety explicit.
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