as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a waggish disposition that often got him into trouble as a child
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Recent Examples of waggish
The show is gloriously nonsensical: a vague excuse to watch a revolving door of spotlight-hungry pussycats prancing their paws to Webber’s waggish earworms.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
The waggish jeer that subverts the Reich Chancellery, designed by Adolf Hitler's chief architect, Albert Speer, must have sent the woman who chastises children for flatulent folly into a tizzy.
—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
12 Jan. 2025
After publishing a New York Times piece about grieving her late husband, the waggish writer received an email from a kindly old acquaintance who was also recently widowed.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
24 Oct. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2024
Foreman’s own work was waggish, so the Off Off Broadway Wooster production is frequently tongue-in-cheek.
—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2024
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
The waggish jeer that subverts the Reich Chancellery, designed by Adolf Hitler's chief architect, Albert Speer, must have sent the woman who chastises children for flatulent folly into a tizzy.
—
Natasha Gural,
Forbes,
12 Jan. 2025
After publishing a New York Times piece about grieving her late husband, the waggish writer received an email from a kindly old acquaintance who was also recently widowed.
—
Patrick Ryan,
USA TODAY,
24 Oct. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Aug. 2024
Foreman’s own work was waggish, so the Off Off Broadway Wooster production is frequently tongue-in-cheek.
—
Helen Shaw,
The New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggish
Adjective
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In House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere, Aegon II brought him to a meeting where Jaehaerys II was mischievous and bored.
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The show features a wide cast of colorful characters, namely Ginger’s mother Lois (Laraine Newman), her quirky friends Dodie (Aspen Vincent) and Macie (Jackie Harris Greenberg), and her mischievous little brother Carl (Jeannie Elias).
Adjective
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But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
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Because my gut feeling tells me another round of wicked winds this way comes.
Adjective
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The high-quality dress can be worn all summer long, in playful hues like white and green.
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Beaded sandals, in particular, strike a balance between statement-making and approachable, offering the same playful energy as the season’s beaded jewelry and bags without requiring a complete wardrobe overhaul.
Cite this Entry
“Waggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggish. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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