as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
a waggish disposition that often got him into trouble as a child
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Recent Examples of waggish
After publishing a New York Times piece about grieving her late husband, the waggish writer received an email from a kindly old acquaintance who was also recently widowed.
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Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
Foreman’s own work was waggish, so the Off Off Broadway Wooster production is frequently tongue-in-cheek.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
The three children of Leonard Bernstein uphold their father’s legacy with waggish exuberance.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
His simple line drawings—in contrast with painterly images more common to the times—and waggish humor also made way for the eerie and fanciful later work of William Steig and ultimately for the refinement of Saul Steinberg’s sharp wit.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2023
That is an untitled image by the waggish Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, from 1999, and the poor guy being displayed, with a heretical hint of crucifixion, is a gallery owner from Milan—a kindred spirit for Nemo, who is equally stuck.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2023
Trendy, vapid Chazelle sentimentalized a token Mexican immigrant in Babylon, but Jordan and waggish co-screenwriter William Monahan, who scripted Scorsese’s The Departed, plays with ethnicity (those Irish mugs, Lange’s perfect brogue, and Cumming’s perfect Southern twang).
—Armond White, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
His sense of humor occasionally got him in trouble; according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was fired from his administrative job after publishing a waggish column about teacher evaluations at the university, and taught for another year before retiring in 1990.
—Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2021
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 24 Oct. 2024
He’s left a distinctive stamp on the orchestra’s sound in the years since, whether declaiming the beginning of Mahler 5 with a preacher’s conviction or, as in a recent Ravinia concert, tossing off a ragtime solo with waggish virtuosity.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2024
Foreman’s own work was waggish, so the Off Off Broadway Wooster production is frequently tongue-in-cheek.
—Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2024
The three children of Leonard Bernstein uphold their father’s legacy with waggish exuberance.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
His simple line drawings—in contrast with painterly images more common to the times—and waggish humor also made way for the eerie and fanciful later work of William Steig and ultimately for the refinement of Saul Steinberg’s sharp wit.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2023
That is an untitled image by the waggish Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, from 1999, and the poor guy being displayed, with a heretical hint of crucifixion, is a gallery owner from Milan—a kindred spirit for Nemo, who is equally stuck.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2023
Trendy, vapid Chazelle sentimentalized a token Mexican immigrant in Babylon, but Jordan and waggish co-screenwriter William Monahan, who scripted Scorsese’s The Departed, plays with ethnicity (those Irish mugs, Lange’s perfect brogue, and Cumming’s perfect Southern twang).
—Armond White, National Review, 17 Feb. 2023
His sense of humor occasionally got him in trouble; according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he was fired from his administrative job after publishing a waggish column about teacher evaluations at the university, and taught for another year before retiring in 1990.
—Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for waggish
Adjective
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The sequels crank up the festive chaos by adding a mischievous third look-alike into the mix.Janey Tracey, EW.com, 29 Nov. 2024
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Social media users were left in stitches by a couple's attempt to capture a pregnancy announcement video on the beach—only for it to be interrupted by a mischievous golden retriever.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Glinda the Good Witch) made being wicked look like a lot of fun.Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 25 Nov. 2024
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In terms of who dies on the show, that is entirely up to those creative, delightfully wicked minds, of which character fits, what makes sense when.Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Beautiful, playful, discerning, and endlessly curious, cats are wonderful companions.Simon Hill, WIRED, 23 Nov. 2024
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Deck The Halls In The Kids’ Room Opt for a miniature tree in the children's room, and outfit it with playful (and durable) ornaments, like these oyster shells from Grit and Grace.Cece Lesesne, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near waggish
Cite this Entry
“Waggish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/waggish. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.
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