Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Deliberately causing harm or damage: Characterized by a desire or tendency to cause trouble or minor injury, often in a way that is not seriously malicious but is still harmful or disruptive.
   • Naughtily or annoyingly playful: Behaving in a way that is full of playful fun but is also troublesome, teasing, or irritating.

Examples of Usage

• Deliberately causing harm or damage:

  • The politician accused the newspaper of spreading mischievous lies about his past.
  • Cutting down those trees was a mischievous act of vandalism.

• Naughtily or annoyingly playful:

  • The mischievous puppy hid all of my shoes.
  • She gave me a mischievous grin before revealing the surprise.

Advanced Usage

• "with mischievous intent": with the purpose of causing playful trouble or minor harm.

  • The software update was not a bug but was deployed with mischievous intent to confuse users temporarily.

• "a mischievous streak": a persistent trait of being playfully troublesome.

  • Despite his serious job, he has a mischievous streak and loves practical jokes.

Variants and Related Words

• Mischievously (adverb): In a mischievous manner.

  • He smiled mischievously, knowing he had won the bet.

• Mischievousness (noun): The quality or state of being mischievous.

  • The child's mischievousness was endearing but exhausting for his parents.

Synonyms

• Impish: Playfully mischievous.
• Puckish: Whimsically mischievous.
• Rogueish: Engaging in mild, disreputable, or playful mischief.
• Prankish: Fond of playing pranks.
• Waggish: Humorous in a playful, mischievous, or facetious manner.

Antonyms

• Well-behaved: Conducting oneself in a proper manner.
• Obedient: Complying with commands or instructions.
• Solemn: Formal and dignified; not cheerful or smiling.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Full of mischief": Behaving in a very mischievous way.

  • Stay away from him today; he's full of mischief.

• "The mischief in one's eyes": A visible glint or expression suggesting playful, troublemaking thoughts.

  • You could see the mischief in his eyes as he planned the prank.

Adjective

1. deliberately causing harm or damage
   • mischievous rumors and falsehoods
2. naughtily or annoyingly playful
   • teasing and worrying with impish laughter
   • a wicked prank