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Rogue vs. Rouge — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 3, 2023
Rogue is a dishonest person or a mischievous one, while Rouge refers to a red powder or cream used as a cosmetic for coloring cheeks.
Rogue vs. Rouge — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Rogue and Rouge

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Key Differences

Rogue and Rouge, while sounding similar, convey distinct meanings. Rogue is primarily used in English to denote an individual who deviates from expected behavior or norms, often with a negative connotation. It might refer to a person who's mischievous, deceitful, or operates outside the bounds of morality. On the other hand, Rouge is squarely in the realm of cosmetics. It's a term that describes a red powder or cream applied to the face, primarily the cheeks, to impart color.
When considering literature, films, or everyday usage, Rogue can refer to a character or a person with unpredictable behavior or even a charming vagabond. The term frequently characterizes someone not entirely trustworthy. Whereas Rouge, in those same contexts, would seem out of place unless discussing makeup or a specific shade of red.
In computer terms, Rogue can describe software or systems that are harmful or deviate from their expected functions, like rogue software or a rogue robot. Rouge, in this context, has no direct application unless, perhaps, one is naming a software or a color code after the cosmetic.
It's crucial for writers, speakers, and readers to distinguish between Rogue and Rouge, especially given their phonetic similarity. Mixing them up could lead to comical or confusing situations, such as imagining a "rogue blush" instead of "rouge blush" or a "rouge agent" instead of a "rogue agent".

Comparison Chart

Nature

Noun often referring to a person or behavior.
Noun related to cosmetics.
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Usage in Sentence

"He is a rogue trader."
"She applied some rouge to her cheeks."

Associated Color

None specific.
Red.

Field of Relevance

Behavior, character traits, or software.
Makeup, fashion.

Phonetics

Sounds like 'rog' with a hard 'g'.
Sounds like 'roozh'.

Compare with Definitions

Rogue

A dishonest or unprincipled person.
He was known as a rogue in the business community.

Rouge

A red powder or cream for coloring the cheeks or lips.
She added a touch of rouge to brighten her face.

Rogue

Someone or something that behaves unexpectedly.
The rogue elephant trampled through the village.

Rouge

A moderate to strong red color.
The dress was a shade of rouge.

Rogue

A person or thing that deviates from the norm.
The rogue gene caused the unexpected mutation.

Rouge

Any of various red cosmetics.
She bought a new rouge from the beauty store.

Rogue

A playfully mischievous person.
The little rogue hid the shoes as a prank.

Rouge

A polishing compound used to give a smooth, shiny surface.
He used rouge to buff the silverware to a high shine.

Rogue

A dishonest or unprincipled man
You are a rogue and an embezzler

Rouge

A red powder or cream used as a cosmetic for colouring the cheeks or lips
She wore patches of rouge on her cheeks

Rogue

An elephant or other large wild animal living apart from the herd and having savage or destructive tendencies
A rogue elephant

Rouge

Short for jeweller's rouge

Rogue

Remove inferior or defective plants or seedlings from (a crop)
The sowing has to be rogued to remove aberrant seedlings

Rouge

(in Canadian football) a single point awarded when the receiving team fails to run a kick out of its own end zone.

Rogue

An unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person; a scoundrel or rascal.

Rouge

Colour with rouge
Her brightly rouged cheeks

Rogue

One who is playfully mischievous; a scamp.

Rouge

(of wine) red.

Rogue

A wandering beggar; a vagrant.

Rouge

A red or pink cosmetic for coloring the cheeks or lips.

Rogue

A vicious and solitary animal, especially an elephant that has separated itself from its herd.

Rouge

A reddish powder, chiefly ferric oxide, used to polish metals or glass.

Rogue

An organism, especially a plant, that shows an undesirable variation from a standard.

Rouge

To put rouge onto
Rouged her cheeks.

Rogue

Vicious and solitary. Used of an animal, especially an elephant.

Rouge

To color or prettify as if with a facial cosmetic
"Their job is to rouge up the war ... to turn the horror into cheering press releases" (Richard Corliss).

Rogue

Large, destructive, and anomalous or unpredictable
Rogue tornado.

Rouge

To use rouge.

Rogue

Operating outside normal or desirable controls
"How could a single rogue trader bring down an otherwise profitable and well-regarded institution?" (Saul Hansell).

Rouge

Of a reddish pink colour.

Rogue

To remove (diseased or abnormal specimens) from a group of plants of the same variety.

Rouge

Red or pink makeup to add colour to the cheeks; blusher.

Rogue

To remove diseased or abnormal plants.

Rouge

Any reddish pink colour.

Rogue

A scoundrel, rascal or unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable person.

Rouge

(Canadian football) A single point awarded when a team kicks the ball out of its opponent's end zone, or when a kicked ball becomes dead within the non-kicking team's end zone. Etymology uncertain; it is thought that in the early years of the sport, a red flag indicated that a single had been scored. (This scoring term is not often used in Canada, with the term single being more commonly used.)

Rogue

A mischievous scamp.

Rouge

(obsolete) In the Eton wall game, a scrummage, melée.

Rogue

A vagrant.

Rouge

In the Eton College field game, a scoring move accomplished by touching the ball down behind the opponents' goal-line (somewhat similar to the try in rugby). Originally, the player who scored the rouge had a chance to kick a goal, and the rouge was used as a tie-breaker if an equal number of goals was scored by each side. In the contemporary Eton College field game, a five-point score is awarded for kicking the ball so that it deflects off one of the opposing players and goes beyond the opposition's end of the pitch, and then touching the ball.

Rogue

(computing) Deceitful software pretending to be anti-spyware, but in fact being malicious software itself.

Rouge

(obsolete) From 1862 to 1868, a similar scoring move in Sheffield rules football. From 1862 to 1867, accomplished by touching the ball down after it had been kicked between two "rouge flags" either side of the goal. From 1867-1868, awarded for kicking the ball between the rouge flags and under the crossbar.

Rogue

An aggressive animal separate from the herd, especially an elephant.

Rouge

A red amorphous powder consisting of ferric oxide, used in polishing and as a cosmetic; crocus; jeweller's rouge.

Rogue

A plant that shows some undesirable variation.

Rouge

(ambitransitive) To apply rouge (makeup).
She rouged her face before setting out for the party.

Rogue

(role-playing games) A character class focusing on stealthy conduct.

Rouge

Red.

Rogue

(of an animal, especially an elephant) Vicious and solitary.

Rouge

A red amorphous powder consisting of ferric oxide. It is used in polishing glass, metal, or gems, and as a cosmetic, etc. Called also crocus, jeweler's rouge, etc.

Rogue

(by extension) Large, destructive and unpredictable.

Rouge

A cosmetic used for giving a red color to the cheeks or lips. The best is prepared from the dried flowers of the safflower, but it is often made from carmine.

Rogue

(by extension) Deceitful, unprincipled.

Rouge

To paint the face or cheeks with rouge.

Rogue

Mischievous, unpredictable.

Rouge

To tint with rouge; as, to rouge the face or the cheeks.

Rogue

(horticulture) To cull; to destroy plants not meeting a required standard, especially when saving seed, rogue or unwanted plants are removed before pollination.

Rouge

Makeup consisting of a pink or red powder applied to the cheeks

Rogue

To cheat.

Rouge

Redden by applying rouge to;
She rouged her cheeks

Rogue

(obsolete) To give the name or designation of rogue to; to decry.

Rouge

To redden by applying cosmetics.
She rouged her cheeks before the performance.

Rogue

To wander; to play the vagabond; to play knavish tricks.

Rogue

A vagrant; an idle, sturdy beggar; a vagabond; a tramp.

Rogue

A deliberately dishonest person; a knave; a cheat.
The rogue and fool by fits is fair and wise.

Rogue

One who is pleasantly mischievous or frolicsome; hence, often used as a term of endearment.
Ah, you sweet little rogue, you!

Rogue

An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone, in which state it is very savage.

Rogue

A worthless plant occuring among seedlings of some choice variety.

Rogue

To wander; to play the vagabond; to play knavish tricks.

Rogue

To give the name or designation of rogue to; to decry.

Rogue

To destroy (plants that do not come up to a required standard).

Rogue

A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel

Rogue

A computer program that performs malicious actions.
The rogue software infected thousands of computers.

Common Curiosities

Can Rouge be used as a verb?

Yes, as in "She rouged her cheeks".

Is there a "Rogue application" in cosmetics?

No, you might be thinking of a "Rouge application".

Can Rouge refer to any color other than red?

Traditionally, no. Rouge primarily refers to red cosmetics.

Is Rouge harmful?

As a cosmetic, it's generally safe unless someone has allergies. Always check ingredients.

What is a "Rogue nation"?

A country that doesn't comply with international norms or expectations.

Does Rouge have other meanings apart from cosmetics?

Yes, it can also refer to a polishing compound.

Are Rogue and Rouge pronounced the same?

No, "Rogue" is pronounced like 'rog' with a hard 'g', and "Rouge" sounds like 'roozh'.

Is a Rogue always a negative term?

Mostly, but it can also refer playfully to someone mischievous.

Is a "Rogue agent" a type of makeup?

No, that's a person acting unpredictably or without authorization.

Is a "Rogue wave" a type of makeup design?

No, it refers to an unexpected, large wave in the ocean.

Can you call someone a Rouge as an insult?

Not traditionally. If you mean to insult, you probably mean "Rogue".

Does Rogue have origins in computer terminology?

No, but it's adopted in computer jargon to describe malicious software or actions.

Are Rouge and blush the same?

They're similar. Rouge is traditionally red, while blush can be various shades.

Can men wear Rouge?

Absolutely! Makeup has no gender.

Is "Rogue" related to rogues gallery?

Yes, a "rogues gallery" is a collection of pictures of criminals or suspects.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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