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mischievous

adjective
mis·​chie·​vous | \ ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio) , ˈmish-; nonstandard mis-ˈchē-vē-əs How to pronounce mischievous (audio) , mish-\

Definition of mischievous

1 : harmful, injurious mischievous gossip
2a : able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury
b : irresponsibly playful mischievous behavior
Other Words from mischievous Synonyms Mischievous vs. Mischievious: Usage Guide More Example Sentences Learn More about mischievous

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Other Words from mischievous

mischievously adverb
mischievousness noun

Mischievous vs. Mischievious: Usage Guide

A pronunciation \mis-ˈchē-vē-əs\ and a consequent spelling mischievious are of long standing: evidence for the spelling goes back to the 16th century. Our pronunciation files contain modern attestations ranging from dialect speakers to Herbert Hoover. But both the pronunciation and the spelling are still considered nonstandard.

Examples of mischievous in a Sentence

In passing the test of killing itself if infected, cancerous or genetically mischievous, a cell by definition dies. — Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999 … Pedro Martinez, could be found in the dugout, usually wearing sneakers instead of spikes, his tongue flying about as fiercely as one of his mischievous fastballs. — Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 11 Oct. 1999 Setsu grew, too, from a mischievous, laughing little girl into a gay, willful, pretty girl. — Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, 1947 the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
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Recent Examples on the Web

 The story of Peter Pan centers around a free-spirited and mischievous young boy who never wanted to grow up. — Sean Merriman, Detroit Free Press, "ESPN's Dennis Rodman 30 for 30 film sheds light on his Detroit Pistons days," 11 Sep. 2019 The mischievous superstar was at his locker, applying a layer of Sweet’N Low crystals to his mustache. — Will Larkin, chicagotribune.com, "Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever: No. 1, Walter Payton," 5 Sep. 2019 The resulting juice is a cipher of a scent; simultaneously traditional and subversive, light and dark, romantic and mischievous. — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, "Chloë Sevigny in full bloom," 3 Sep. 2019 The Twitter account, attracting more than 25,000 followers, chronicled his mischievous forays into yards, garages and a backyard swimming pool. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: Albert, the grizzly bear who loved PB&J sandwiches, has died," 30 Aug. 2019 But the mischievous mammal's mood soured the next morning. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "A tiny kinkajou sneaked into a Florida home and attacked a man," 20 Aug. 2019 Jang’s images were mischievous and quirky, full of visual jokes about how the rich and famous and the freaks and burnouts weren’t all that different from one another. — Hua Hsu, The New Yorker, "A Rediscovered Archive from California in the Seventies," 24 Aug. 2019 Ramírez describes his younger self as a decent student but also disruptive, mischievous and stubborn. — Greg Bishop, SI.com, "Immigrant Song," 30 July 2019 Kesterson said her son had a mischievous and fun-loving nature. — Peggy O’hare, ExpressNews.com, "The victims of the deadly Iconic Village fire," 20 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mischievous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of mischievous

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for mischievous

see mischief

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More Definitions for mischievous

mischievous

adjective
How to pronounce mischievous (audio) How to pronounce mischievous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of mischievous

: causing or tending to cause annoyance or minor harm or damage
: showing a playful desire to cause trouble
: intended to harm someone or someone's reputation

See the full definition for mischievous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

mischievous

adjective
mis·​chie·​vous | \ ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio) \

Kids Definition of mischievous

1 : causing or likely to cause minor injury or harm a mischievous puppy
2 : showing a spirit of irresponsible fun or playfulness The boy had a mischievous look on his face.
3 : harming or intended to do harm mischievous gossip

Other Words from mischievous

mischievously adverb

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WORD OF THE DAY

jeopardize

play

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