1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
His voice babbles away throughout the record and his mischievous personality shines.
—
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
Plenty of people even defended his mischievous antics, leading to more than 140 comments on TikTok so far.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
North played the mischievous Dennis, who caused trouble for his neighbor George Wilson (Joseph Kearns).
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Thomas Smith, Billboard, 24 Apr. 2025
Plenty of people even defended his mischievous antics, leading to more than 140 comments on TikTok so far.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025
North played the mischievous Dennis, who caused trouble for his neighbor George Wilson (Joseph Kearns).
—Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025
Clark, who wore a mischievous smile, flayed her arm once more for the dramatics before stepping on the court and finishing a defensive drill.
—James Boyd, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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This one says that offshore holding companies are wicked and should be penalized.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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One scene in the school pool does a particularly wicked job of emphasizing Ducournau’s strengths, as the director makes a visceral, bloody spectacle of Alpha’s social pariah status.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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The Renaissance’s old love language — the naughty puns, the sighs of longing and strategies of seduction, the paeans to the beauty of beloveds masked by fanciful Greek and Latin names — had grown obsolete long before Millay’s time.—
A.O. Scott,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
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They are seen flinging a pizza box into their bucolic yard, smearing their faces with paint, raising their middle fingers, and saying naughty words.—
Peter Tonguette,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Mensah and Bharadwaj take dangerous risks exploring an unknown area while Gurathin confronts Murderbot.—
Billie Melissa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 May 2025
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This, in effect, frames even the movie’s unrelated, apolitical happenings as being at the mercy of this dangerous future, backed by Western powers.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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The moment instantly sparked playful reactions cross the internet with some cheekily demanding the robot get its act together.—
Caché McClay,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
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Plus, the playful green shade will add a pop of color to any summer travel wardrobe.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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If Americans were working longer to stave off poverty, then a rising retirement age would be a bad thing, said Andrew Biggs, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
23 May 2025
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Things started even worse for Minnesota in the middle frame, as their offense still sputtered and the Frost’s second power play of the game was a disaster, with the Charge controlling the play and testing Rooney repeatedly throughout the two minutes.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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Located in the stratosphere, the ozone layer acts like sunscreen, blocking potentially harmful ultraviolet energy from reaching our planet's surface.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
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Even apps like YouTube Kids can expose kids to harmful content.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Nicholson's portrayal of a rebellious mental hospital inmate is a phenomenal combination of sly intelligence and impish braggadocio, best showcased during the scene where, thwarted in his attempt to watch the World Series on TV, McMurphy ad libs a commentary in front of a blank set.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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Whenever O’Brien was onstage, balancing impish humor with a palpable love for movies and compassion for an industry where so many recently lost so much to the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, the ceremony felt light and loose.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In 2023, for example, a federal judge ruled that mifepristone should be taken off the market by citing low-quality studies that reported adverse effects from mifepristone.—
Keren Landman,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2025
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Those impacted by this recall or others can report a complaint or adverse event by visiting Industry and Consumer Assistance.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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