mischief
Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyanceConduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
Recorded: Dvortygirl, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
» That child is full of mischief.
У этого ребёнка одни проказы на уме. — sharptoothed
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8 languagesBy meaning 3
By meaning 3
Examples
45 sentencesThat child is full of mischief.
ruУ этого ребёнка одни проказы на уме. — sharptoothed
Many boys are fond of mischief.
We stopped the child from getting into mischief.
Meaning
9 senses(uncountable)Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
Drink led to mischief.
Unfug, Unheil, Querulantentum
озорство́ozorstvó, ша́лостьšálostʹ, озорни́кozorník
reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
(countable, uncountable)A criminal offence defined in various ways in various jurisdictions, sometimes including causing damage to another's property.
(countable)A playfully annoying action.
John's mischief, tying his shoelaces together, irked George at first.
More meanings 6
(collective, countable, uncountable)A nest or pack of mice or rats.
(countable, euphemistic, uncountable)The Devil; used as an expletive.
Harm or injury:
(archaic, uncountable)Harm or trouble caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause.
She had mischief in her heart.
Sooner or later he'll succeed in doing some serious mischief.
Unheil, Unfug, Aufruhr
вредvred, злоzlo
(archaic, countable)An injury or an instance of harm or trouble caused by a person or other agent or cause.
It may end in her doing a great mischief to herself—and perhaps to others too.
(archaic, countable)A cause or agent of annoyance, harm or injury, especially a person who causes mischief.
(Australia, countable, uncountable)Casual and/or flirtatious sexual acts.
Origin
From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meFrom Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: mischiefsSynonyms
152 synonyms- reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others:mischief-makingmischievousnessdeviltrydevilrydevilmentrascalityrogueryroguishness
- the quality or nature of being harmful or evil:maleficencebalefulness
Antonyms
7 antonymsWord family
12 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.