mischief
Use Mischief in a sentence
tʃɪf noun
1.
conduct or activity that playfully causes petty annoyance.
2.
a tendency or disposition to tease, vex, or annoy.
3.
a vexatious or annoying action.
4.
harm or trouble, especially as a result of an agent or cause.
5.
an injury or evil caused by a person or other agent or cause.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To mischief
00:10
Mischief
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
mischief (ˈmɪstʃɪf) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | wayward but not malicious behaviour, usually of children, that causes trouble, irritation, etc |
| 2. | a playful inclination to behave in this way or to tease or disturb |
| 3. | injury or harm caused by a person or thing |
| 4. | a person, esp a child, who is mischievous |
| 5. | a source of trouble, difficulty, etc: floods are a great mischief to the farmer |
| [C13: from Old French meschief disaster, from meschever to meet with calamity; from mes- | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
mischief
c.1300, "evil condition, misfortune, need, want," from O.Fr. meschief (Fr. méchef), verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate" (opposite of achieve), from mes- "badly" (see mis- (2)) + chever "happen, come to a head," from V.L. *capare "head,"
from L. caput "head" (see head). Meaning "harm or evil considered as the work of some agent or due to some cause" is from late 15c. Sense of "playful malice" first recorded 1784. Mischief Night in 19c. England was the eve of May Day and of Nov. 5, both major holidays, and perhaps the original point was pilfering for the next day's celebration and bonfire; but in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland the night was Halloween. The useful M.E. verb mischieve (early 14c.) has, for some reason, fallen from currency.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
He did not cause any damage and he is no longer capable of doing mischief to the state government.
We also cannot discount the possibility of lab accidents or mischief by researchers.
Or he may be simply unable to control factions within the regime, allowing the army to create mischief of its own.
Scoundrels were bound to find the weaknesses and exploit them for mischief or, worse, for criminal gain.
Idioms & Phrases
Nearby Words
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