mischievous

adjective

mis·chie·vous ˈmis-chə-vəs

ˈmish-;

nonstandard

mis-ˈchē-vē-əs

mish-

Synonyms of mischievous next

: harmful, injurious

mischievous gossip

: able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury

: 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.

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Plenty of TikTok users lauded Zola's mischievous behavior and highlighted her lack of remorse. —

Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 In the series, the mischievous Cat and his sidekick, the ever-cautious Fish, strike out on kooky adventures that feature alphabet song sing-a-longs, tremendous tongue-twisters, and wondrous wordplay. —

Spenser Mestel, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Dec. 2024 Several comedic games are now set in motion: Padilla’s goofy pasta puns, each delivered with mischievous goofball energy; Mescal’s rising hostility toward his costar; the difference in how his own pasta puns are received on set. —

Joe Berkowitz, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2024 Featuring Danny Glover as Santa Claus, The Naughty Nine is a mischievous shot in the arm for family Christmas movies. —

Sezín Devi Koehler, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mischievous