How to Use impish in a Sentence

impish

adjective
  • Harry seems to be the sort of the impish, favored, grandson.
    Josh Duboff, Vanities, 17 May 2018
  • Rotenberg has the squat and powerful frame of a wrestler, and a round, impish face.
    Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker, 29 May 2017
  • By the 1970s, this charmer with the impish smile had been driving a taxi in Washington for more than three decades.
    Manuel Roig-Franzia, Washington Post, 8 June 2022
  • Maarraoui will play Clara, the impish younger sister of Marie.
    Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 8 Dec. 2021
  • Back then, Hazel’s eyes had been bright and impish, her wispy white hair neatly pulled back with a shiny red clip.
    Rachel Heng, The New Yorker, 31 May 2021
  • Decked out in gemstones, Emhoff dared to be silly, to chance a bit of impish lightness.
    Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2021
  • His cheeks were red on somewhat pale skin, and his smile often impish.
    Brian Williams, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Mar. 2018
  • The program book gave no hint of this bold stroke; nor did Mr. Schiff, who has an impish streak and likes to surprise, say anything from the stage.
    James R. Oestreich, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2018
  • Thoma, a compact, bald fellow with an impish smile, also buys all the wine for the restaurant.
    Ray Isle, Smithsonian, 23 May 2018
  • Manson was impish and played little hand games with her.
    Joe Mozingo, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2019
  • Those strolling by her house this Fourth of July might want to be on the lookout for Akers' impish grandsons, ages 9 and 5.
    Jane Ford-Stewart, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 June 2018
  • Joel Embiid is as impish as ever, but there is an edge to his trolling.
    Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 26 Nov. 2019
  • No one knew that better than the Wildcats’ impish trainer, Jake Nevin.
    Frank Fitzpatrick, Philly.com, 1 Sep. 2017
  • The venues sometimes reflect his impish sense of humor.
    Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 10 June 2016
  • An impish face stared up at me, looking for a reaction, like a puppy who had just nosed over a ball.
    Hillary Richard, New York Times, 11 May 2020
  • This one’s full of impish anachronisms, on the soundtrack and on screen, as if to say the clothes and props may change, but the stifling cruelties of the royal court remain the same.
    Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2023
  • Many people who know him described him as impish or mischievous, with a sense of humor that went just up to the line and often over it.
    Clare Malone, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2022
  • Katie, a playful 3-year-old with an impish smile, is largely non-verbal.
    Jackie Mader, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2020
  • His impish behavior earned him the new name Loki, after the Norse god of mischief.
    Cindy Kuzma, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2018
  • The result was something impish and a little bit kinky: all that male cleavage, out on display.
    Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023
  • McKinnon was a standout in the opening sketch as an impish Rudy Giuliani, lawyer to Trump.
    Hal Boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, 20 May 2018
  • The person sitting across from me on my computer screen was impish.
    Daniel Riley, GQ, 1 May 2018
  • Brad had come up onto his knees and was resting irresistibly on his heels, an impish grin across his face.
    Alejandro Varela, Harper's magazine, 16 Sep. 2019
  • Ken often wished for a return of the Deists and impish printing presses, that brand of hopefulness.
    Elisabeth Egan, chicagotribune.com, 10 June 2017
  • The impish comic with the wild fringe of long hair and a mustache always had new firepower up his colorful sleeve.
    Dennis McLellan, Anchorage Daily News, 11 Nov. 2022
  • An impish Mark Hamill also had a little fun with the tweet, quote-tweeting Boyega’s message.
    Yohana Desta, HWD, 7 June 2017
  • Dionne, who combines keen intellect with an impish wit, went first.
    Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2022
  • At times, the acting in here is downright painful (though Willem Dafoe breathes impish life into his bilingual role, while the others stick to their native tongues).
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Sep. 2023
  • Her impish grin smiled out from thousands of flyers posted on stop signs, store windows, and bulletin boards.
    Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 31 July 2023
  • My friend Sister Nabila Saleh is a petite, warm woman with an impish sense of humor.
    Claire Porter Robbins, The New Yorker, 24 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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