impish

[im-pish]

adjective

1. mischievous.

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

impish

/ ˈɪmpɪʃ /

adjective

1. of or resembling an imp; mischievous

Other Word Forms

• impishly adverb
• impishness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of impish¹

First recorded in 1645–55; imp + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

She had blue eyes and a soft voice, and as I would learn later, an impish wit.

From Los Angeles Times

Manuel chips in enthusiastically with an impish grin, saying that the new systems that he too firmly believes will emerge will be the "next stage in humanity's evolution".

From BBC

North shot to fame playing Dennis, an impish child who wore baggy overalls with a slingshot in his back pocket and who often made a mess of things for his neighbor George Wilson.

From Los Angeles Times

With one foot in either place, we’re pulled between the impish naivete of childhood — when the future seemed vast and bright — and the doldrums of adulthood.

From Salon

The figure of the author, typically a crotchety older man with an impish sense of humor and unabashed literary fervor, became a staple of his later work.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• devilish 
• jaunty 
• naughty 
• playful