mischievous

adjective

mis·​chie·​vous ˈmis-chə-vəs 

ˈmish-;

nonstandard

mis-ˈchē-vē-əs 

mish-

1

: harmful, injurious

mischievous gossip

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

• arch
• devilish
• elvish
• espiègle
• impish
• knavish
• leprechaunish
• pixie
• pixy
• pixieish
• prankish
• puckish
• rascally
• roguish
• scampish
• sly
• tricksy
• waggish
• wicked

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Michelle Trachtenberg's fans are remembering her in one of her most mischievous roles. —Angela Andaloro, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025

Addressing his health issues and impact of his Parkinson’s diagnosis, the film showcases the central role music continues to play in Ozzy’s life, also proving his mischievous sense of humor remains resolutely intact, despite it all. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 25 Feb. 2025

Portly monks, mischievous monkeys, witches and angels. —Corina Knoll, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025

There’s serving plates with an elephant motif, a drinks tray with a lacquered White Lotus, cocktail glasses etched with slithering snakes, and cocktail picks with a mischievous looking monkey. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 17 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see mischief

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine

'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.

Kids Definition

mischievous

adjective

mis·​chie·​vous ˈmis-chə-vəs  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