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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 The suspects were booked into the Fort Worth City Jail and face charges of burglary of a building, evading arrest or detention, and criminal mischief, according to police records. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026 In their dealings with him, they are empowered to work all kinds of mischief and magic in his place and on his behalf. — Literary Hub, 14 Oct. 2026 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 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
  • Wang said Pop Mart’s task today is not only to sell a collectible but to preserve a sense of playfulness that people can carry into adult life.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026
  • When Hermès started in 1978, there was a clear ambition—to be as good as its competitors in technique but be different in creativity, materials and playfulness.
    — Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of playfulness
Noun
  • Silicon Valley has given the world the Firefox Fox, now-defunct Gateway cows, the former Twitter bird, GitHub’s octopus, Mailchimp’s monkey and Hootsuite’s owl.
    — Ankolika De, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The monkey head was inside a wooden box that was wrapped in towels.
    — Meena Thiruvengadam, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 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
  • The guitars shred our ears, the wall opens up, and a pair of monsters slinks into the room — a red devil, a hunchbacked demon with a black snout.
    — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2026
  • In 1974 the fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons first appeared, and later editions featured such character types as devils and demons.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 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

Browse Nearby Words

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 8 Nov. 2026.

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