mischievous

adjective

mis·​chie·​vous ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
ˈmish-;
nonstandard
mis-ˈchē-vē-əs How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
mish-
1
: harmful, injurious
mischievous gossip
2
a
: able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury
b
: irresponsibly playful
mischievous behavior
mischievously adverb
mischievousness noun
Mischievous vs. Mischievious: Usage Guide

A pronunciation \mis-ˈchē-vē-əs\ and a consequent spelling mischievious are of long standing: evidence for the spelling goes back to the 16th century. Our pronunciation files contain modern attestations ranging from dialect speakers to Herbert Hoover. But both the pronunciation and the spelling are still considered nonstandard.

Examples of mischievous in a Sentence

In passing the test of killing itself if infected, cancerous or genetically mischievous, a cell by definition dies. Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
… Pedro Martinez, could be found in the dugout, usually wearing sneakers instead of spikes, his tongue flying about as fiercely as one of his mischievous fastballs. Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 11 Oct. 1999
Setsu grew, too, from a mischievous, laughing little girl into a gay, willful, pretty girl. Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, 1947
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The sequels crank up the festive chaos by adding a mischievous third look-alike into the mix. Janey Tracey, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2024 Social media users were left in stitches by a couple's attempt to capture a pregnancy announcement video on the beach—only for it to be interrupted by a mischievous golden retriever. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024 A Little to the Left (Switch, Xbox One, Xbox X/S, PC) A Little to the Left, first released in 2022 by publisher Secret Mode, is a charming puzzle game focused on organizing objects, though a mischievous cat may occasionally derail progress. Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024 The new second clause has received less attention but is mischievous in its own right: b. The Editors, National Review, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mischievous 

Word History

Etymology

see mischief

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mischievous was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near mischievous

Cite this Entry

“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischievous. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

mischievous

adjective
mis·​chie·​vous ˈmis-chə-vəs How to pronounce mischievous (audio) ˈmish- How to pronounce mischievous (audio)
1
: harming or intended to do harm
mischievous gossip
2
: causing or tending to cause minor injury or annoyance
a mischievous puppy
3
: showing a spirit of mischief
mischievous behavior
mischievously adverb
mischievousness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on mischievous

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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