What does "mischief" mean?
Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
Mischief
/ˈmɪst͡ʃiːf/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
- Grammar: mischief is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: mischievousness, devilment, devilry, deviltry.
- Useful contrasts: benignity, decorum, gentility.
- Usage evidence: The little boy got into mischief when he was left alone.
How to use "mischief"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "mischief" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "mischief" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "mischief" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "mischief" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "mischief" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "mischievousness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "mischief", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance. uncountable
"Drink led to mischief."
- 2 reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others wordnet
- 3 A playfully annoying action. countable
"John's mischief, tying his shoelaces together, irked George at first."
- 4 the quality or nature of being harmful or evil wordnet
- 5 A group or a pack of rats. collective, countable, uncountable
"Kirac, the leader of the rats under his charge, speaks to the major through his telepathic abilities that manifested after the alien virus infected him and his mischief of rats."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 Harm or injury:; Harm or trouble caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause. archaic, uncountable
"She had mischief in her heart."
- 7 Harm or injury:; An injury or an instance of harm or trouble caused by a person or other agent or cause. archaic, countable
"It may end in her doing a great mischief to herself—and perhaps to others too."
- 8 A criminal offence defined in various ways in various jurisdictions, sometimes including causing damage to another's property. countable, uncountable
- 9 A cause or agent of annoyance, harm or injury, especially a person who causes mischief. archaic, countable
"To die like a man of honour, Sir Hargrave, you must have lived like one. You should be sure of your cause. But these pistols are too ready a mischief. Were I to meet you in your own way, Sir Hargrave, I should not expect, that a man so enraged would fire his over my head, as I should be willing to do mine over his. Life I would not put upon the perhaps involuntary twitch of a finger."
- 10 The Devil; used as an expletive. countable, euphemistic, uncountable
"What the mischief are you? and how the mischief did you get here, and where in thunder did you come from?"
- 11 Casual and/or flirtatious sexual acts. Australia, countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To do a mischief to; to harm. obsolete, transitive
""Not now, Smee," Hook said darkly. "He is only one, and I want to mischief all the seven. Scatter and look for them.""
- 2 To slander. obsolete, transitive
"And so it hath been divers times; Men mischiefing the Jews to excuse their own Wickedness: as to instance one Precedent in the time of a certain King of Portugal."
Example
"The little boy got into mischief when he was left alone."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "mischief"?
Common synonyms include: mischievousness, devilment, devilry, deviltry, naughtiness, rascality.
How do you use "mischief" in a sentence?
The little boy got into mischief when he was left alone.
How do you pronounce "mischief"?
Pronounced /ˈmɪst͡ʃiːf/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From 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”).
Etymology 2
From Middle English myschefen, myscheven, from Old French meschever.