mischief
conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance.
a tendency or disposition to tease, vex, or annoy.
a vexatious or annoying action.
harm or trouble, especially as a result of an agent or cause.
an injury or evil caused by a person or other agent or cause.
a cause or source of harm, evil, or annoyance.
the devil.
Origin of mischief
1synonym study For mischief
Other words for mischief
Words Nearby mischief
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use mischief in a sentence
The character went on to appear in 17 novels and 39 novellas in narratives that detailed a wide range of adventures and mischief.
What to Know About the Literary Origins of Netflix’s Buzzy Crime Drama Lupin | Annabel Gutterman | June 11, 2021 | TimeThey steep mischief and self-assertion — both sexual and cultural — in solutions of tender pathos.
Dawoud Bey, Jasper Johns and ‘Automania’ are among the many compelling reasons to visit museums this summer | Sebastian Smee | June 11, 2021 | Washington PostWhile Kari and Carel sounds like a ’70s sitcom about roommates who work at a chocolate factory and the mischief they get into, it’s actually the first step in understanding where “curry” comes from.
If there was a side of a power conference bracket designed for bid-thieving mischief entering the week, it was the top half of the Big East tournament because of top-seeded Villanova’s short-handedness.
NCAA tournament bracketology: Potential bid snatchers to watch on Friday | Patrick Stevens | March 12, 2021 | Washington PostYou’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of both the science itself and how science gets done — including plenty of mischief.
The fierce scientific rivalry over a powerful gene-editing technology | Sam Kean | March 12, 2021 | Washington Post
Then he could actually start making things better, instead of just making mischief.
The New Texas Governor’s Cynical Immigration Threat | Ruben Navarrette Jr. | December 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTMaking sense of her life on the page, deploying raw emotion alongside humor and wry mischief, has long been a Bechdel pursuit.
This year, White mischief is taking a break from its usual big productions and having a number of more intimate soirees.
Inside London's Underground Burlesque and Fetish Scene | Liza Foreman | August 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHis entry takes the reader through a day of mischief with Bast, the somewhat mysterious creature from the Chronicles series.
Inside George R.R. Martin’s New Book (Mild Buzzkill: Only One Story is Martin’s) | William O’Connor | June 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe move apparently was to make sure none of the invitees was up to any mischief.
Up to Speed: All You Need to Know About the Thai Coup | Lennox Samuels | May 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThat woman meant mischief, or she would never have dared to suggest that a British officer should throw in his lot with hers.
The Red Year | Louis TracyLucy Warrender, ever ready for mischief, feigned an intense interest in racing matters, but failed to draw Lord Hetton.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsIts vitals were going—were gone, before the smallest indications of mischief appeared upon the surface.
The cock springs out of its seat when water gets into the cylinder, and prevents any mischief from the velocity of the fly-wheel.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2) | Francis TrevithickShall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
The Ordinance of Covenanting | John Cunningham
British Dictionary definitions for mischief
/ (ˈmɪstʃɪf) /
wayward but not malicious behaviour, usually of children, that causes trouble, irritation, etc
a playful inclination to behave in this way or to tease or disturb
injury or harm caused by a person or thing
a person, esp a child, who is mischievous
a source of trouble, difficulty, etc: floods are a great mischief to the farmer
Origin of mischief
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with mischief
see make mischief.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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