mischief

noun

ˈmis-chəf How to pronounce mischief (audio)
Definition of mischiefnext
1
as in devilment
playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway

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2
as in playfulness
a natural disposition for playful behavior your mother was full of mischief as a child, believe it or not

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3
as in monkey
an appealingly mischievous person he's a little mischief who means no harm

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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 mischief Stolen Kingdom delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. — Peter White, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2026 Maybe Canada doesn’t need another billion-dollar weapons system – just a few more hockey sticks and a good dose of patriotic mischief. — Rachel Marsden, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026 The actors who work best are the ones who give themselves over to his sense of mischief and permissiveness. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026 The suspect has six prior arrests in New York, with charges including criminal contempt, assault and criminal mischief, cops said. — Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mischief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischief
  1. devilment
  2. playfulness
  3. monkey
  4. mischievousness
  5. devil
  6. wickedness
  7. rascality
  8. devilry
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of devilment
Noun
  • Mazzoli’s score has its moments of playfulness, starting with the prologue in which the chorus members blow into kazoos.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Burnt out and bored, people started reincorporating playfulness into their lives with outfit updates and bedazzled everything.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of playfulness
Noun
  • To see if those different histories made the monkeys more germophobic, the researchers presented individuals with two tasty treats — grapes.
    — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026
  • From there on, CERMA (Centre d'Enseignement et de Recherches de Médecine Aéronautique) changed its research to flying monkeys.
    — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of monkey
Noun
  • Instead, Audi has built something that works remarkably well as everyday transportation while keeping a substantial reserve of mischievousness for those moments when an empty stretch of road appears.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The tension latent in Jobim and Regina’s working relationship gives their rendition a mischievousness that’s sorely missed in the monotony of Art Garfunkel’s version, or the twee precision of Susannah McCorkle’s.
    — Lily Goldberg, Pitchfork, 13 June 2026
Definition of mischievousness
Noun
  • In Jennifer’s Body, Needy (Seyfried) is BFFs with the titular mean girl played by Fox, whose body becomes possessed by a succubus with a taste for teen boys after a botched sacrifice by a devil-worshipping boy band (led by Adam Brody).
    — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Behave yourself, buddy, or the little red devil will take you away!
    — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of devil
Noun
  • Cathy’s treatment of Adam isn’t rooted in innate wickedness, as in Steinbeck’s novel, but personal experience.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Hartnett brings none of the wickedness that made his performance in Trap so much fun, just coming across as flat onscreen even as his character has to navigate some wild turns.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of wickedness
Noun
  • Still, the pure rascality in these extravagant self-inventions shouldn’t be overlooked.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Definition of rascality
Noun
  • Dancing spirits, dressed in Victorian-era garb, stir up devilry as the night unfolds.
    — Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Oct. 2025
  • If Michael Jackson moonwalked so that Prince could show us the face of God with his brain-melting 2007 set, the NFL’s reaction to Fox’s inspired bit of devilry set the stage for the league’s eventual takeover of the American psyche.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Definition of devilry

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mischarging
mischief
mischiefs
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Cite this Entry

“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischief. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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