puckish
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of puckish
Explanation
Someone who's puckish is up to a little trouble. Your puckish friend might play practical jokes on you, but they're more silly than meanspirited. You can imagine a puckish person with a naughty twinkle in her eye. She might drive you crazy, but she also makes you laugh. This impish adjective dates from the 1860s, and we have Shakespeare to thank for it. It comes from Puck, the mischievous fairy-like creature from English folklore, made famous after being a character in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."
Vocabulary lists containing puckish
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Culture: April 12–18, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week In Culture: January 11–17, 2020
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
With her bleach-blond punk haircut, puckish grin and bright elfin eyes, she could have come to the company’s heavily guarded San Francisco headquarters straight from a Berlin rave, via an old forest road in Middle-earth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
But he’s also puckish – sylph-like and otherworldly, seductive and repellent, as likely to swaddle Sarah in her heart’s desire as he is to toss her into the belching, farting Bog of Eternal Stench.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2026
“A Doll’s House, Part 2,” which opened Sunday at Pasadena Playhouse under the direction of Jennifer Chang, is a sequel with a puckish difference.
From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025
Along the way, it casts a jaundiced eye at the callous American lust for guns and money, and takes puckish pleasure in reminding us that we’ll all be shadows like Elmer soon enough.
From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2024
Then, laughing, he slides down and away, throwing a puckish glance back to see if I’ll follow.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
