mischievous
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.
About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.mis·chie·vous
adjective \ˈmis-chə-vəs, ˈmish-; ÷mis-ˈchē-vē-əs, mish-\Definition of MISCHIEVOUS
2
a : able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury b : irresponsibly playful <mischievous behavior>
— mis·chie·vous·ly adverb
— mis·chie·vous·ness noun
See Usage Discussion of MISCHIEVOUS
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
- <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>
- 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
- [+]more
Origin of MISCHIEVOUS
(see mischief)
First Known Use: 14th century
Learn More About MISCHIEVOUS
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: misch metal
Previous Word in the Dictionary: mischief
All Words Near: mischievous
Previous Word in the Dictionary: mischief
All Words Near: mischievous
Seen & Heard 
What made you want to look up mischievous? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
