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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
After making approximately a bazillion dollars at the box office in May and trouncing the career of one Mr. Tom Cruise, should any of us be surprised that Stitch, Disney’s lovable and mischievous blue alien, will return for a round two?
—
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 26 June 2025
John is a starving-artist stereotype in search of a character, and Evans, always an appealingly angular and mischievous screen presence, is treated as little more than a hangdog hunk.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The sophisticated audiences of 2025 require a little more grit, more mischievous fun.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Zada lives up to the mischievous troublemaker in Lockhart’s book.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 26 June 2025
John is a starving-artist stereotype in search of a character, and Evans, always an appealingly angular and mischievous screen presence, is treated as little more than a hangdog hunk.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The sophisticated audiences of 2025 require a little more grit, more mischievous fun.
—Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 28 June 2025
Zada lives up to the mischievous troublemaker in Lockhart’s book.
—Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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Tiernan McKinney often works on guitar necks, while Kennedy himself has input along the way on design, wood type, color and the wicked inlays found from top to bottom of each piece.—
Otto Rabe,
The Enquirer,
9 July 2025
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The Judean wilds are full of others seeking clarity, plus a wicked merchant named Musa sent to test and torment the young ascetic from Galilee.—
Mia Barzilay Freund,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Frank gives me just the wonderful opportunity to be naughty.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
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In other news, water is wet and the Islanders are naughty.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Critics say Trump has only become more dangerous, pursuing radical ideas without restraint.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 July 2025
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This led to the state’s adoption of the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 and many related laws meant to lessen the emissions that contribute to drier, hotter and increasingly dangerous conditions across the world — and to inspire other governments to follow suit.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Ludus refers to playful, game-like love that values fun and avoids deep commitment.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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Even more recently, Dua Lipa debuted a playful French manicure with white polka dots on black tips, adding even more white spots all-over a couple accent nails.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Tom threw batting practice to Jackson, took Ethan down in the garage to vent and hit soft toss after a bad day at school.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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But there's also nothing worse than missing a connection that delays your trip by hours or even a full day.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
10 July 2025
Adjective
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One of the most common and harmful examples is the Social Security Administration phishing scam, which targets unsuspecting individuals with alarming and deceptive messages.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 July 2025
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission was created by Congress in 1972 and tasked with shielding consumers from injury or death from defective or harmful products.—
Mike Scarcella,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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Despite Igor's impish antics, his Facebook posts and TODAY appearance have generated considerable interest from potential adoptive parents.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
14 July 2025
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The others were Dan Lucas, the guitarist, from York, and Taylor Stewart, the drummer, from outside Glasgow—the group’s impish prankster, who has a penchant for choking his mates and kicking them in the balls.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Possible issues associated with consuming too much of the spice include allergic reactions (that can range from mild irritation to serious symptoms), stomach pain and potential adverse interactions with medications such as blood thinners.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
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Earth’s magnetic field naturally protects living things and Earth-orbiting satellites from most adverse effects of space weather.—
Mojtaba Akhavan-Tafti,
The Conversation,
11 July 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 18 Jul. 2025.
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