mischievous
adjective
mis·chie·vous
ˈmis-chə-vəs 
ˈmish-;
nonstandard
mis-ˈchē-vē-əs
mish-
2
a
: able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury
b
: irresponsibly playful
mischievous behavior
mischievously
adverb
mischievousness
noun
Mischievous vs. Mischievious: Usage Guide
A pronunciation \mis-ˈchē-vē-əs\ and a consequent spelling mischievious are of long standing: evidence for the spelling goes back to the 16th century. Our pronunciation files contain modern attestations ranging from dialect speakers to Herbert Hoover. But both the pronunciation and the spelling are still considered nonstandard.
Synonyms
Examples of mischievous in a Sentence
In passing the test of killing itself if infected, cancerous or genetically mischievous, a cell by definition dies.
—
Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
… Pedro Martinez, could be found in the dugout, usually wearing sneakers instead of spikes, his tongue flying about as fiercely as one of his mischievous fastballs.
—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 11 Oct. 1999
Setsu grew, too, from a mischievous, laughing little girl into a gay, willful, pretty girl.
—Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, 1947
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999
… Pedro Martinez, could be found in the dugout, usually wearing sneakers instead of spikes, his tongue flying about as fiercely as one of his mischievous fastballs.
—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 11 Oct. 1999
Setsu grew, too, from a mischievous, laughing little girl into a gay, willful, pretty girl.
—Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, 1947
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
Recent Examples on the Web
Coyotes often mate for life and are good parents, a contradiction to popular culture’s idea of the desert wolf as mischievous and cunning villain.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Pudi, as usual, is as mischievous as ever in his relentless pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, outsmarting his bosses—and perhaps even himself.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Similarly, Charlie’s growing collection of toy cars stolen from gas stations along the way both note his mischievous spirit and mark the miles traveled across vast landscapes.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
Michelle Obama couldn’t make it, but part-time-painter George W. Bush had space in his diary (like all mischievous elves straight after Christmas), and the poor woman behind BFG Barron missed the whole event.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mischievous 
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Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2025
Pudi, as usual, is as mischievous as ever in his relentless pursuit of climbing the corporate ladder, outsmarting his bosses—and perhaps even himself.
—Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
Similarly, Charlie’s growing collection of toy cars stolen from gas stations along the way both note his mischievous spirit and mark the miles traveled across vast landscapes.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025
Michelle Obama couldn’t make it, but part-time-painter George W. Bush had space in his diary (like all mischievous elves straight after Christmas), and the poor woman behind BFG Barron missed the whole event.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for mischievous
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Dictionary Entries Near mischievous
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischievous. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mischievous
adjective
mis·chie·vous
ˈmis-chə-vəs
ˈmish-
ˈmish-
1
: harming or intended to do harm
mischievous gossip
2
: causing or tending to cause minor injury or annoyance
a mischievous puppy
3
: showing a spirit of mischief
mischievous behavior
mischievously
adverb
mischievousness
noun
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