farouche

fa·rouche  (fä-rsh)

adj.

1. Fierce; wild: an artist who was farouche even in everyday life.

2. Exhibiting withdrawn temperament and shyness coupled with an air of cranky, often sullen fey charm: "small, farouche poems illustrated with doodles, a cross between Ogden Nash and Blake" (Rosemary Dinnage).

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[French, from Old French faroche, alteration of forasche, from Late Latin forsticus, belonging outside, from Latin fors, out of doors; see foreign.]