impish

[im-pish]

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adjective

mischievous.
of, relating to, or characteristic of an imp.

Origin of impish

First recorded in 1645–55; imp + -ish¹

Related formsimp·ish·ly, adverbimp·ish·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for impish

Contemporary Examples

She appeared at his side, impish smile in place, dutiful, fragrantly rather than ferociously sexy, and—frustratingly—an adjunct.
How Can Katie Holmes Escape Tom Cruise—and ‘Dawson’s Creek’?
Tim Teeman
October 30, 2014
New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz described it as “fabulously complex, sexual, asexual, mysterious, powerful, impish.”
The Tilda Swinton Weirdness Quiz: All About the MoMA-Napping Actress
Melissa Leon
March 27, 2013
Posner may be impish, but the flawed amendment language is a prime villain in the gun debate.
'Let's Talk About Guns' Live Chat Transcript
David Frum
January 25, 2013
Sasha, now 11 years old, was no longer the impish child but a preteen with a sense of age-appropriate glamour.
Election Night 2012: Fashion of Jubilation And Mourning
Robin Givhan
November 7, 2012

Historical Examples

There lurked about him the impish quality of the whistle that had summoned her.
The Coast of Chance
Esther Chamberlain
She knew Jack could never feel the same to me, as the mother of that impish girl.
A Soldier of the Legion
C. N. Williamson
In such a life there is no place for untruthfulness or any member of its impish brood.
What Is and What Might Be
Edmond Holmes
It was an impish trick, and it brought him unwittingly into peril of his soul.
Harbor Tales Down North
Norman Duncan
They could not reconcile it with the impish tricks she had played.
The Huntress
Hulbert Footner

British Dictionary definitions for impish

impish

adjective

of or resembling an imp; mischievous

Derived Formsimpishly, adverbimpishness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impish

adj.

1650s, from imp + -ish. Related: Impishly; impishness.

impish

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}impish

Examples from the Web for impish

Contemporary Examples

She appeared at his side, impish smile in place, dutiful, fragrantly rather than ferociously sexy, and—frustratingly—an adjunct.

New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz described it as “fabulously complex, sexual, asexual, mysterious, powerful, impish.”

Posner may be impish, but the flawed amendment language is a prime villain in the gun debate.

Sasha, now 11 years old, was no longer the impish child but a preteen with a sense of age-appropriate glamour.

Historical Examples

There lurked about him the impish quality of the whistle that had summoned her.

She knew Jack could never feel the same to me, as the mother of that impish girl.

In such a life there is no place for untruthfulness or any member of its impish brood.

It was an impish trick, and it brought him unwittingly into peril of his soul.

They could not reconcile it with the impish tricks she had played.

impish

Word Origin and History for impish

adj.

Origin of impish