mischievous

adjective

mis·chie·vous ˈmis-chə-vəs

ˈmish-;

nonstandard

mis-ˈchē-vē-əs

mish-

: harmful, injurious

mischievous gossip

: able or tending to cause annoyance, trouble, or minor injury

: irresponsibly playful

mischievous behavior

mischievously adverb

mischievousness noun

Mischievous vs. Mischievious: Usage Guide

A pronunciation \mis-ˈchē-vē-əs\ and a consequent spelling mischievious are of long standing: evidence for the spelling goes back to the 16th century. Our pronunciation files contain modern attestations ranging from dialect speakers to Herbert Hoover. But both the pronunciation and the spelling are still considered nonstandard.

Example Sentences

In passing the test of killing itself if infected, cancerous or genetically mischievous, a cell by definition dies.

Matt Ridley, Genome, 1999 … Pedro Martinez, could be found in the dugout, usually wearing sneakers instead of spikes, his tongue flying about as fiercely as one of his mischievous fastballs.

Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 11 Oct. 1999 Setsu grew, too, from a mischievous, laughing little girl into a gay, willful, pretty girl.

Pearl S. Buck, The Big Wave, 1947 the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors

Recent Examples on the Web Babies have a knack for that kind of mischievous self-sabotage.

Washington Post, 28 June 2021 Huck started to show off his mischievous side a year after the Lindenmuth family moved into their current Austin home.

Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 6 Oct. 2022 Bacon and Freud scholars maintain a quietly bitchy relationship, and Harrison, who has a mischievous side, took an interest in Omar’s painting.

Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2022 That sense of informality could bring out the queen’s mischievous side.

Danica Kirka, ajc, 11 Sep. 2022 Louis became known for being mischievous: He was caught on camera making faces at an event for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in June.

Caitlin O'kane, CBS News, 12 Sep. 2022 Yet, since the little Partons were mischievous, going to church featured more than singing and worship — on at least one memorable Sunday.

Nancy Anderson, Good Housekeeping, 5 Sep. 2022 The young protagonist here is a mischievous British kid named Max (Archie Yates), who’s accidentally left behind by his vacationing family.

Jeanne Jakle, San Antonio Express-News, 24 Nov. 2021 The youngest of three children of Guatemalan immigrants, he was regarded by his parents and teachers as a troublesome kid, mischievous at school, with poor grades, no college prospects and a bad attitude.

Selene Rivera Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2021 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mischievous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.