1
: a specific injury or damage attributed to a particular agent
the polished floor … often causes mischiefs—bruises, sprains, dislocations—
Herbert Spencer
Herbert Spencer2
: a cause or source of harm, evil, or irritation
especially
: a person who causes mischief
He's a real mischief to his family.
3
a
: action that annoys or irritates
Halloween mischiefs
b
: the quality or state of being mischievous : mischievousness
had mischief in his eyes
Examples of mischief in a Sentence
It's hard to keep him out of mischief.
the children claimed that setting off a firecracker was harmless mischief, but they got a lecture anyway
Recent Examples on the Web
The electric version starts the same, but that plaintive wail sounds more like a call to mischief.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
When a mysterious prankster befalls the town of Middlesburg, 13-year-old Frances McCausland (Erin Chambers) gets blamed for the mischief.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
But Mako's mischief is not unusual for a dog going to a new environment.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property.
—NPR, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
When a mysterious prankster befalls the town of Middlesburg, 13-year-old Frances McCausland (Erin Chambers) gets blamed for the mischief.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025
But Mako's mischief is not unusual for a dog going to a new environment.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Oct. 2025
Texas will deter criminal mischief and work with local law enforcement to arrest anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property.
—NPR, 19 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischief
Cite this Entry
“Mischief.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischief. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mischief
noun
mis·chief
ˈmis-chəf 
ˈmish-
1
2
: a person or animal who causes mischief
3
: mischievous conduct or quality
a child gets into mischief
had mischief in their eyes
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