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What is a picaresque novel?
Picaresque derives from Spanish picaresco, which means "of or relating to a picaro," the picaro being the rogue or bohemian usually at the center of picaresque fiction. The typical picaro is a wandering individual of low social standing who happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, and often relies on wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known novel in this style is Lazarillo de Tormes (circa 1554), an irreverent work about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is disputable.
Examples of picaresque in a Sentence
Marion Winik, Washington Post, 30 July 2024
Nearly 15 years later, in the absorbing, picaresque Godwin (Pantheon) O’Neill has taken another sport as his subject–soccer–and used it to study brotherhood, migration, and a kind of late-capitalist striving that lends his storytelling a tint of desperation.
—Chloe Schama, Vogue, 18 July 2024
Armond White, National Review, 31 July 2024
An icon of Mexican-American border culture, typified by his heavy usage of Spanglish and bad-mannered pachuco style, Tin Tan melded the picaresque with his inimitable physical humor to become one of the most beloved comedians of his time.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for picaresque 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picaresque.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Picaresque.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picaresque. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
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