Louche

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /luːʃ/

Definitions

1. Marked by a questionable moral standing or behavior that is considered improper
2. displaying a nonchalant or carefree demeanor that may hint at impropriety
3. Having a reputation or appearance suggesting questionable morality or shady behavior ; showing an effortlessly cool or carefree style that may seem socially improper

Etymology: "Louche" is one of those English words that arrived already dressed in French clothing, and its original French sense was startlingly literal. In French, "louche" meant "squinting" or "cross-eyed," and it also described something out of focus or askew, a sense that gave rise to the idea of something dubious or shifty. English borrowed the word from French with the sense of morally questionable or disreputable, carrying that squint-eyed suspicion across the Channel with it. The shift from a physical squint to a moral squint is easy to follow once you picture someone glancing sideways at you. A louche character is someone whose glance and conduct both look slightly off, the sort of person who seems less than fully respectable without necessarily being criminal. The word keeps that flavour of raffish disreputability rather than outright wickedness.

Synonyms: disreputable, immoral, debauched

Antonyms: respectable, virtuous, noble