mischievous
adjective
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.
Synonyms
Examples of mischievous in a Sentence
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
Ernesto Lechner, SPIN, 11 Apr. 2024
Considering her divisiveness, this mischievous grade-schooler won't be winning any popularity contests.
—Hillary Busis, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2024
Framed under high, arched brows, her glance is mischievous, almost sinister.
—Angelica Aboulhosn, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
There in the back of the truck, the trio discover Petal, the narrator and mischievous daughter of head witch Anna-Freya Hollyhock (Lio Tipton).
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2024
Putin has stated his preference for President Joe Biden to remain in the White House, a mischievous intervention that may hint at his confidence in the geopolitical winds.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC News, 14 Mar. 2024
They’re joined by Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard), a mischievous ship-builder and his wife Torvi (Georgia Hirst).
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
The visuals pair well with the feral, mischievous energy that pervades the record.
—Beverly Bryan, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024
This was a mischievous question—and maybe, in a room stocked with Cody Johnson fans, a perilous one.
—Kelefa Sanneh, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'mischievous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Dictionary Entries Near mischievous
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mischievous. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
mischievous
adjective
ˈmish-
More from Merriam-Webster on mischievous
Nglish: Translation of mischievous for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of mischievous for Arabic Speakers
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