1. mischievous or playfully troublesome people, especially children
Usage: informal; often used affectionately
2. dishonest or unscrupulous people
Usage: informal

Examples

• The teacher smiled as she watched the little scallywags playing pranks during recess.
• Those scallywags next door are always getting into some kind of mischief.
• The old pirate stories were full of scallywags and treasure hunters.
• Don’t trust those scallywags with your money.
• The neighborhood scallywags had painted graffiti on the fence again.
• She called her grandchildren affectionate scallywags when they tracked mud through the house.