1
: a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
the polished floor … often causes mischiefs—bruises, sprains, dislocations—
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer2
: a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation
especially
: a person who causes mischief
He's a real mischief to his family.
3
a
: action that annoys or irritates
Halloween mischiefs
b
: the quality or state of being mischievous : mischievousness
had mischief in his eyes
Examples of mischief in a Sentence
It's hard to keep him out of mischief.
the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway
Recent Examples on the Web
Charged with assault and criminal mischief, Altunaga was freed on supervised release at the request of a prosecutor, the newspaper reported.
—Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
He was charged with criminal mischief and was being held on $500 bond, said Constable Mark Herman.
—Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
In his teens, Turman turned to other interests: aviation engineering, playing hooky and getting into mischief.
—Stuart Miller, Variety, 10 July 2025
In just a matter of days, the viral video has gained over 600 comments from social media users who have lauded Franky's mischief.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Ray Sanchez, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
He was charged with criminal mischief and was being held on $500 bond, said Constable Mark Herman.
—Louis Casiano , Brooke Taylor, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
In his teens, Turman turned to other interests: aviation engineering, playing hooky and getting into mischief.
—Stuart Miller, Variety, 10 July 2025
In just a matter of days, the viral video has gained over 600 comments from social media users who have lauded Franky's mischief.
—Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Cite this Entry
“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischief. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mischief
noun
mis·chief
ˈmis-chəf 
ˈmish-
1
2
: a person or animal who causes mischief
3
: mischievous conduct or quality
a child gets into mischief
had mischief in their eyes
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