ESPIÈGLE Synonyms: 55 Similar and Opposite Words

espiègle

adjective

e-ˈspyeglᵊ

Definition of espiègle

as in pixie

tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the espiègle light in the young princess's eye faded when she contemplated the stifling restrictions of court life

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for espiègle

Adjective

Their illustrations glowed on the asphalt; the chalk may as well have been pixie dust.

— Julianna Duennes Russ, Austin American Statesman, 10 Nov. 2025
But in a new post added to Instagram, Mayim decided to make a more dramatic and permanent switch to her hairstyle by chopping it off into a semi-pixie cut.

— Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 30 Mar. 2023

Definition of pixie

Adjective

Soon a wicked stepmother named Elvera and her brood came into the Jones family’s life.

— Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 3 July 2026
Yamal was a thorn in Saudi Arabia’s side, drifting infield to unleash shots from distance but also peppering the penalty area with wicked deliveries from the right flank.

— Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026

Definition of wicked

Adjective

Eventually, Nguyen told me with a mischievous grin, Olive started improving itself, writing its own code and pushing over 30,000 updates.

— Margaux MacColl, Vanity Fair, 14 July 2026
Advertisement Best of all is Deutch’s Gail, whose sunbeam demeanor barely conceals her flirty, mischievous side.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 10 July 2026

Definition of mischievous

Adjective

Though the playful space has no actual dock or access to the nearby Chao Phraya, the river’s blue waters and blue-orange tugboats influenced the hotel’s color scheme and other touches.

— The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
August is your last chance to embrace summer’s brightest manicure trends, from juicy hues to playful nail art.

— Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 19 July 2026

Definition of playful

Adjective

The movie follows the life of feisty belle Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), from growing up on a plantation to her love affairs, including with roguish Rhett Butler (Clark Gable).

— Brian Truitt, USA Today, 1 July 2026
The main Palm Dog went to Yuri, the roguish stray at the heart of Chilean director Dominga Sotomayor’s La Perra, premiering in Directors’ Fortnight.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 May 2026

Definition of roguish

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.

Browse Nearby Words

espied

espiègle

espièglerie

See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

Style

“Espiègle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/espi%C3%A8gle. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of espiègle

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dog days

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Games & Quizzes