mischief

noun

mis·​chief ˈmis-chəf 

ˈmish-

1

: a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent

… the polished floor … often causes mischiefs—bruises, sprains, dislocations …

—Herbert Spencer

2

: 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

Synonyms of mischief

• devilment
• mischievousness
• playfulness
• wickedness
• rascality
• devilry
• roguishness
• devilishness
• roguery
• naughtiness
• impishness
• knavery

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

Perales was subsequently located nearby carrying a red paint marker, and was arrested on charges of domestic violence, violation of a protection order, criminal mischief and obstructing a peace officer, according to 9NEWS. —Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 10 Dec. 2025

Cops eventually took the man to the local jail and charged him with assault and criminal mischief. —Frederick Dreier, Outside, 6 Dec. 2025

Akin to interactive auto-fiction, this first-person adventure deftly folds early life details about one of its makers, Julián Cordero, into a game about mischief-making in dusty parks. —Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025

His air of louche mischief attended his farces about Dada and James Joyce and moral determinism, his cleverness worn as lightly as a scarf. —Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English meschief, from Anglo-French, misfortune, hardship, from Old French meschever to come out badly, mes- + chief head, end — more at chief

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mischief

• malicious mischief

Kids Definition

mischief

noun

mis·​chief ˈmis-chəf 

ˈmish-

1

: injury sense 2, harm

2

: a person or animal who causes mischief

3

: mischievous conduct or quality

a child gets into mischief

had mischief in their eyes