as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the gang of impish children ran into the street, utterly oblivious to the traffic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of impish
On a humid evening in May, Patricia Lockwood, who writes with the impish verve and provocative guilelessness of a peeing cupid, was scanning the menu at a Mexican restaurant near her home, in Savannah, Georgia.
—
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Jude is an erudite man of the people whose hyper-literate intellectualism is only matched by his Chaucer-like vulgarity, and his work has long reveled in an impish fascination with the relationship between art, labor, and technology.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
The impish yet cute plushies are a global sensation among Gen Z and even those older, often hanging on handbags, backpacks and belt loops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
The grid is a perfect romp of impish misdirection and original cluing, with an appropriately festive theme hidden in plain sight.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impish
Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 25 Aug. 2025
Jude is an erudite man of the people whose hyper-literate intellectualism is only matched by his Chaucer-like vulgarity, and his work has long reveled in an impish fascination with the relationship between art, labor, and technology.
—David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 11 Aug. 2025
The impish yet cute plushies are a global sensation among Gen Z and even those older, often hanging on handbags, backpacks and belt loops.
—Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 17 May 2025
The grid is a perfect romp of impish misdirection and original cluing, with an appropriately festive theme hidden in plain sight.
—Sam Corbin, New York Times, 25 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
-
Late Thursday, the company released in China the newest Labubu dolls, rabbit-ish toys that have pointed ears, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Many brushed aside the cheeky clip as mischievous teasing between teammates at the time.—
Doha Madani,
NBC news,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Both are wicked smart brainiacs on a tireless quest to do good in the world.—
Natasha Stoynoff,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
-
As the mystery unravels from multiple POVs, Alex’s kooky aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan) is revealed as the orchestrator of the tragedy — her fiery orange hair, nimble fingers, ghostly face and wicked crimson smile a memorable image that haunts the narrative.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Today, the practice has taken on a playful twist, with people reimagining themselves in royal attire for humor and novelty.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Reeves was impressed with the script and, after meeting with Ansari in London, agreed to sign on for one of the most playful roles of his career (a scene with Rogen at a burger joint in which the angel learns to eat for the first time is an inspired bit of physical comedy).—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share