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mischievousness

 - 3 dictionary results

mis⋅chie⋅vous

  [mis-chuh-vuhs]
Use mischievousness in a Sentence
–adjective
1. maliciously or playfully annoying.
2. causing annoyance, harm, or trouble.
3. roguishly or slyly teasing, as a glance.
4. harmful or injurious.
Origin:
1300–50; ME mischevous < AF meschevous. See mischief, -ous

Related forms:
mis⋅chie⋅vous⋅ly, adverb
mis⋅chie⋅vous⋅ness, noun

Pronunciation note:
Pronunciations of mischievous with stress on the second syllable: [mis-chee-vee-uhs] or, less commonly, [mis-chee-vuhs], instead of on the first: [mis-chuh-vuhs], are usually considered nonstandard. The pronunciation [mis-chee-vee-uhs], with the additional syllable, occurs by analogy with such words as previous and devious.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To mischievousness
mis·chie·vous   (mĭs'chə-vəs)   
adj.  

  1. Causing mischief.

  2. Playful in a naughty or teasing way.

  3. Troublesome; irritating: a mischievous prank.

  4. Causing harm, injury, or damage: mischievous rumors and falsehoods.


[Middle English mischevous, from mischef, mischief; see mischief.]
mis'chie·vous·ly adv., mis'chie·vous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

mischievous 
c.1330, "unfortunate, disastrous" (see mischief). Sense of "playfully malicious or annoying" first recorded c.1676.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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