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mischief Definition

mis·chief (mis′c̸hif)

noun

  1. harm, damage, or injury, esp. that done by a person
  2. a cause or source of harm, damage, or annoyance; specif.,
    1. action or conduct that causes damage or trouble
    2. a person causing damage or annoyance
  3. a tendency or disposition to annoy or vex with playful tricks
    1. a troublesome or annoying act; prank; playful, vexing trick
    2. playful, harmless teasing

Etymology: ME meschief < OFr < meschever, to come to grief < mes- (see mis-) + chever, come to a head < chief, end, head (see chief)

mischief Synonyms

mischief

n.

  1. Damage

    hurt, injury, trouble, harm; see damage 1.

  2. Evil

    atrocity, ill, catastrophe; see evil 2, wrong 2.

  3. Prankishness

    troublesomeness, harmfulness, impishness, waggishness, sportiveness, roguishness, rascality, misbehavior, misconduct, fault, transgression, wrongdoing, misdoing, playfulness, frolicsomeness, naughtiness, mischief-making, devilment, friskiness, shenanigans*, funny business*.

    Antonyms dignity*, demureness, sedateness.

mischief Usage Examples

Preposition: on

fringe: Why bother to cause mischief on the fringe when we can cause mischief close to the center.

Adjective modifier

  • malicious: They were held for several hours inside the base and charged with malicious mischief.
  • criminal: I got charged with three Class C burglaries and three thefts by unauthorized taking and a criminal mischief.
  • much: Much fairy mischief ensues, mischief which turns the lives of the mortals upside down with slapstick antics.
  • little: A little romantic mischief could be on its way.
  • more: Don't make more mischief; my brother is coming: be quiet!
  • great: I believe great mischief has been done through ignorance on this point.

Converse of object

  • cause: Freddy He is always causing mischief, either with the chimps or with the keepers.
  • prevent: I followed, whether with the dim idea of preventing mischief, or only to know the worst, I can hardly tell.
  • do: The extent of the mischief done exceeded all former example.
  • mean: But a fit in the present state of her health means mischief.
  • create: Wednesday 15th February 2006 Paying a small penalty for mischief created yesterday might seem a small price to pay.
  • make: Don't make more mischief; my brother is coming: be quiet!

Noun used with modifier

  • fairy: Much fairy mischief ensues, mischief which turns the lives of the mortals upside down with slapstick antics.
  • piskie: The monks who worked in the abbey's dairy were the first to feel the effects of the piskie mischief.

Preposition: in

  • land: SHAKIR: But if you held command, you were sure to make mischief in the land and cut off the ties of kinship!
  • world: Why does He allow the Devil to work such mischief in the world?

Modifies a noun

  • maker: Is Allah likely to leave a mischief maker alone to wreak havoc amidst His faithful servants?
  • making: Not surprisingly it was the mischief making which was uppermost in the recollections!
  • night: We can bet our last penny that someone in Knowsley is going to need the missing Police on mischief night.