tearaway

"Tearaway" is an informal British word for a young person who is wild, rebellious, and often in trouble. It usually suggests more than ordinary mischief, but not always serious criminal behavior. The picture is of someone full of energy, quick to ignore rules, and likely to do rash things without thinking much about the result.

It is most often used for teenagers or children, especially boys in older examples, though it can describe anyone seen as unruly and hard to control. A neighbor might say, "He's a bit of a tearaway," after a local teen has been skipping school, riding too fast, or getting into minor trouble. The word can also be used like an adjective before another noun, such as "a tearaway kid" or "a tearaway forward," to show that the person plays or behaves in a reckless, uncontrolled way.

The tone is usually informal and often slightly disapproving, but it is not always harsh. Sometimes it carries a touch of reluctant fondness, especially when the person is seen as lively rather than dangerous. That is one reason it does not feel exactly the same as words like "delinquent" or "criminal," which sound much more severe.

In most uses, the idea is simple: this is someone young, restless, and difficult, the sort of person who races ahead, breaks rules, and leaves other people shaking their heads. If you hear someone described as a tearaway, expect trouble, energy, and a strong sense that they do not like being told what to do.