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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in playfulness
a natural disposition for playful behavior
her irrepressible impishness means that no one is ever safe from her practical jokes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mischief
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm
the boys' impishness was easy to forgive, since it caused no real harm
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of impish
Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 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
The impish heartthrob has been using Legos to unwind while on a weekslong promotional tour for the blockbuster movie musical, which tells the origin story of the witches of Oz.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
But here, Huppert channels Hong’s impish tendencies with purposeful awkwardness.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impish
Adjective
But Nathalie would never let this drop and would bring it up again years later with that wink in her eye and her impish smile.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 14 Jan. 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
The impish heartthrob has been using Legos to unwind while on a weekslong promotional tour for the blockbuster movie musical, which tells the origin story of the witches of Oz.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024
But here, Huppert channels Hong’s impish tendencies with purposeful awkwardness.
—David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
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Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
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Isaacs appeared in the film series as the father of Tom Felton's Draco Malfoy, a Hogwarts student wizard who serves as a mischievous antagonist opposite Harry Potter (Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Grint), and Hermione Granger (Watson).—
Joey Nolfi,
EW.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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She’s been charged with home invasion burglary, two counts of assault, two counts of criminal mischief, terroristic threats and resisting arrest.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2025
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He was arrested and charged with grand theft of construction equipment, criminal mischief over $1,000 and burglary of a structure with property damage, police said.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Havoc brings the heat, throwing Tom Hardy's stony Walker into a hotbed of gangsters, dirty cops, corrupt elites, and wicked assassins.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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Dafoe rocks an aerodynamic pompadour and wicked attitude as the leader of a biker gang who kidnaps a rock singer (Diane Lane) and has a showdown with her ex (Michael Paré).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Once she’s done blending, her full glam results are stunning yet intriguing, with a playful feminine hue.—
Celeste Polanco,
Essence,
24 Apr. 2025
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Johansson brings a playful, global sensibility to Greenlandic staples—using local ingredients like capelin and ptarmigan in ways that draw from both Asian and Mediterranean influences.—
Jordi Lippe-McGraw,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Mustard and vinegar provide the devilment for a flavorful bite, particularly when topped with a scattering of scallions and paprika.—
SAVEUR Editors,
Saveur,
5 Feb. 2025
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But even if truffles are beyond your pay grade, there is plenty of enjoyment to be had in the sheer devilment portrayed in this informative and appetizing book.—
Eugenia Bone,
WSJ,
10 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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