mischief

noun mis·chief \ ˈmis-chəf , ˈmish- \

Updated on: 13 Apr 2018

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

He is charged with burglary, theft and criminal mischief.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "APD: Suspect in Native art theft arrested with tusk in car," 9 Apr. 2018
Her performance here is a bewitching piece of mischief.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "'Ismael's Ghosts' is a messy but vibrant drama from French director Arnaud Desplechin," 5 Apr. 2018
Emmy Gilbert was booked into the Deschutes County Jail on suspicion of second- and fourth-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, unlawful use of a weapon, reckless driving and unlawful use of pepper spray.

— everton bailey jr., OregonLive.com, "Bend woman hits father with car, pepper spray, authorities say," 2 Apr. 2018
Ultimately the client was allowed to plead guilty to criminal mischief, the lowest class of misdemeanor, which carried no possible jail time and was eligible for expungement from his record, Mr. Willey said.

— richard a. oppel jr., New York Times, "His Clients Weren’t Complaining. But the Judge Said This Lawyer Worked Too Hard.," 29 Mar. 2018
Tobias was then arrested on charges of burglary, petty theft and criminal mischief property damage over $1000, according to the sheriff’s office.

— jared gilmour, miamiherald, "Man found his door broken in with a cinder block — and a burglar in his shower, Florida cops say | Miami Herald," 23 Mar. 2018
He was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser crime of criminal mischief, a level of crime which allowed him to keep his firearm and remain an officer.

— Washington Post, "Des Moines police officer with history of trouble sued again," 20 Mar. 2018
He was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser crime of criminal mischief, a level of crime which allowed him to keep his firearm and remain an officer.

— david pitt, Fox News, "Des Moines police officer with history of trouble sued again," 20 Mar. 2018
But this is a gutsy, intricate, evocative piece of mischief, much closer than anyone usually gets to that particular spell cast by Stephen King.

— charles finch, USA TODAY, "Four tantalizing new mysteries to keep you inside this winter," 11 Feb. 2018

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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