mischievous

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparable

   Playfully naughty in a way that causes small, harmless trouble.

   Grammar: Used about children, animals or smiles: a mischievous child, a mischievous grin.

   Patterns

   • mischievous grin
   • mischievous child

   The mischievous puppy hid every shoe in the house.

   She gave a mischievous smile before pulling the prank.

   The twins were mischievous and always up to something.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounformal

   Intended to cause harm or trouble, often by spreading falsehoods.

   Grammar: A more serious, formal sense used about acts and rumors.

   Patterns

   • mischievous rumor

   A mischievous rumor damaged the firm's reputation.

   The newspaper printed a mischievous account of the event.

   He dismissed the story as a mischievous invention.

Word forms

Common combinations

a mischievous grin

He spoke with a mischievous grin.

a mischievous child

The mischievous child drew on the wall.

a mischievous sense of humor

She has a mischievous sense of humor.

a mischievous twinkle

There was a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

mischievous behavior

The teacher tolerated some mischievous behavior.

Synonyms and how they differ

naughty

Naughty is more common for children and sounds scoldingly mild, while mischievous suggests playful fun.

impish

Impish is more literary and suggests small, elf-like cheek.

playful

Playful is gentle and has no hint of rule-breaking, unlike mischievous.

roguish

Roguish implies charming, slightly dishonest behavior, often in adults.

Opposites

Word family

mischief noun

playful behavior that causes trouble

mischievously adverb

in a playfully naughty way

mischievousness noun

the quality of being mischievous

Commonly confused: mischievous or malicious?

Practice

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