mischief

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noun mis·chief \ ˈmis-chəf , ˈmish- \

Definition of mischief

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

See mischief defined for English-language learners

See mischief defined for kids

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 of mischief from the Web

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Dante Fowler was arrested Tuesday night on misdemeanor charges of simple battery and criminal mischief, according to records from the Pinellas County, Florida Sheriff's Department.

— scooby axson, SI.com, "Jaguars DE Dante Fowler arrested on battery charges," 19 July 2017
Most of the vehicles are found within a few days and appear to be the taxi of choice between drug deals or other criminal mischief, police said.

— devin kelly, Alaska Dispatch News, "A police theory on Anchorage’s spike in stolen cars: Free taxis for drug dealers and burglars," 13 July 2017
This attribution issue offers tactical advantages for the Kremlin such as letting Russia make mischief in ways that are even more subtle than its assassins' signature polonium tea.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "Data Sheet—Saturday, July 8, 2017," 8 July 2017
FacebookTwitterPinterest Read moreRead less1/12| Miss Inch's Summer Camp for Girls, The Parent Trap, 1961 Pro: insouciant air of innocent mischief.

— hillary busis, HWD, "The Pros and Cons of Film’s Greatest Summer Camps," 30 June 2017
Michael Tate Reed, 32, of Van Buren, Arkansas, was booked in the Pulaski County jail shortly after 7:30 a.m. on preliminary charges of defacing objects of public interest, criminal trespass and first-degree criminal mischief.

— andrew demillo, The Seattle Times, "Man destroys new Ten Commandments statue at Arkansas Capitol," 28 June 2017
In addition to the December 2015 charges later dismissed, Beals pleaded guilty to a criminal mischief charge in a domestic violence case from May 2015.

— tegan hanlon, Alaska Dispatch News, "Musher once banned from Iditarod over domestic violence charges allowed to return to race," 25 June 2017
These migratory mischief-makers can be found almost anywhere there's long grass or shrubbery, squawking and pecking at passersby to protect their mates.

— john keilman, chicagotribune.com, "Hospital to blame for red-winged blackbird attack? Suit says yes," 22 June 2017
A municipal court judge gave Looney one-year probation and fined him $100 for assault and $50 for malicious mischief.

— andy benoit, The MMQB, "The Greatest Player Who Never Was," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mischief.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of mischief

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

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First Known Use: 14th century

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