mischief
mischief
nounDefinition of MISCHIEF
1
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm <the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway>
Synonyms devilishness, devilment, devilry (or deviltry), diablerie, espièglerie, hob, impishness, knavery, mischievousness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan(s), waggery, waggishness, wickedness
Related Words diabolicalness, misbehavior, misconduct, naughtiness, troublemaking; buffoonery, friskiness, playfulness, sportiveness; chicanery, trickery; goings-on, hanky-panky, high jinks (also hijinks), monkey business, monkeying, monkeyshine(s), skylarking, tomfoolery; horseplay, roughhousing; antic, caper, dido, practical joke, trick; aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation
2
a natural disposition for playful behavior <your mother was full of mischief as a child, believe it or not>
Synonyms coltishness, espièglerie, friskiness, impishness, larkiness, mischief, mischievousness, prankishness, sportfulness, sportiveness, tricksiness
Related Words coyness, kittenishness; archness, devilment, devilry (or deviltry), hob, rascality, roguishness, waggery; devilishness, diabolicalness, knavery; frivolousness; energy, liveliness, spiritedness, sprightliness, spunkiness, vivaciousness, vivacity; gaiety (also gayety), jocularity, jocundity, lightheartedness, mirthfulness, whimsicality
Near Antonyms graveness, grimness, serious-mindedness, seriousness, solemnity, solemnness, sternness; priggishness, starchiness, stuffiness; constraint, restraint, self-control
3
an appealingly mischievous person <he's a little mischief who means no harm>
Related Words cutup, larker, madcap, skylarker; ragamuffin; brat, disrupter, misbehaver, nuisance; juvenile delinquent; gamin, gamine
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