Dictionary

mischievous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /mɪsˈt͡ʃiː.vi.əs/ nonstandard; often along with the spellings mischievious and/or mischevious
• /ˈmɪs.t͡ʃə.vəs/ weak vowel merger
• (US) audio
• /mɪsˈt͡ʃiː.vəs/ (dated)
• /ˈmɪs.t͡ʃɪ.vəs/ without weak vowel merger
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English myschevous, mischevous, from Anglo-Norman meschevous, from Old French meschever, from mes- (“mis-”) + chever (“come to an end”) (from chef (“head”)). By surface analysis, mischief + -ous.

Meanings

1. Causing mischief; injurious.
   • ...; that good and bad actions at present are naturally rewarded and punished, not only as beneficial and mischievous to society, but also as virtuous and civious; ... 1793, Joseph Butler, The Analogy of Religion:
   • On the whole, therefore, he concludes that the point of indulgence at which these self-passions or self-affections begin to be mischievous to the individual coincides with that at which they begin to be mischievous to society; ... 1892, Henry Sidgwick, Outlines of the History of Ethics:
2. Troublesome, cheeky, badly behaved, impish, naughty, disobedient; showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way and liking to have fun by playing harmless tricks on people or doing things they are not supposed to do.
   • Matthew had a twin brother called Edward, who was always mischievous and badly behaved.

Forms

Deriveds

mischievously · mischievousness · nonmischievous

Synonyms

badly-behaved (badly-behaved) · noxious · harmful (causing mischief) · pernicious · naughty (badly-behaved) · detrimental · hurtful · destructive

Translations (161)

de unartig (naughty) · hu káros (causing mischief) · bg непослушен (causing mischief) · gl lambuzas (naughty) · gl pegureiro (naughty) · ja やんちゃな (naughty) · ja わんぱくな (naughty) · ro răuvoitor (naughty) · ro răutăcios (naughty) · tr haşarı (naughty) · it malizioso (naughty) · gl zorriaino (naughty) · ru непослу́шный (naughty) · hu zsivány (naughty) · fr malin (naughty) · de schädlich (causing mischief) · nl beledigend (causing mischief) · kmr neqet (naughty) · pt travesso (naughty) · gl pélgaro (causing mischief) · gl esculapeiro (naughty) · uk пустотли́вий (naughty) · gl congorro (naughty) · ar شِرِّير (naughty) · gl adecán (naughty) · hu pimasz (naughty) · gl bergante (naughty) · fi pahanilkinen (naughty) · kmr venehewiyayî (naughty) · gl renarte (causing mischief) · sh nevàljao (naughty) · pt bagunceiro (causing mischief) · de ungehorsam (naughty) · gl mangoleteiro (naughty) · et sõnakuulmatu (naughty) · hu pajkos (naughty) · ja いたずらな (naughty) · de boshaft (causing mischief) · nl stout (naughty) · yi שטיפֿעריש (naughty) · ga toirmeascach (causing mischief) · mi rawahanga (causing mischief) · de frech (naughty) · sv busig (causing mischief) · es pícaro (causing mischief) · gl zorriaino (causing mischief) · nl kwetsend (causing mischief) · ro obraznic (naughty) · gl abol (naughty) · gl magán (naughty) · gl piardeiro (causing mischief) · hu veszedelmes (causing mischief) · mi hīanga (naughty) · gl galbín (causing mischief) · eo ŝercema (naughty) · af ondeund (causing mischief) · es travieso (causing mischief) · hu csibész (naughty) · fr coquin (naughty) · sh нева̀љао (naughty) · pt levado (naughty) · gl loubán (naughty) · da fræk (causing mischief) · fr malicieux (naughty) · ca entremaliat (naughty) · es travieso (naughty) · ru пакостный (causing mischief) · gl galdrido (causing mischief) · gl galafate (causing mischief) · kmr zererder (causing mischief) · fi pahankurinen (naughty) · de dreist (naughty) · mi hanariki (naughty) · nl gemeen (naughty) · hi बदमाश (naughty) · gl méicharo (causing mischief) · ar مُؤْذٍ (naughty) · cmn 有害 (causing mischief) · ko 장난꾸러기의 (naughty) · eo petolema (causing mischief) · hu ártalmas (causing mischief) · yi שטיפֿעריש (causing mischief) · bg пакостлив (causing mischief) · gl xistrón (naughty) · pl figlarny (naughty) · ga anmhailíseach (causing mischief) · pl psotny (naughty) · ro rău (causing mischief) · pl szelmowski (naughty) · gl méicharo (naughty) · uk бешке́тний (naughty) · gl perillán (causing mischief) · tr yaramaz (causing mischief) · fi ilkikurinen (naughty) · cmn 頑皮 /顽皮 (naughty) · gl bergante (causing mischief) · gl perillán (naughty) · gl galdrido (naughty) · gl mandito (naughty) · hu huncut (naughty) · gl pillabán (naughty) · ca entremaliat (causing mischief) · mi amionga (causing mischief) · kmr şûm (naughty) · it dispettoso (causing mischief) · it piccante (naughty) · ka მავნე (causing mischief) · de spitzbübisch (naughty) · gl adecán (causing mischief) · et ulakas (naughty) · gl pélgaro (naughty) · ru шаловли́вый (naughty) · gl falcatrueiro (naughty) · fr espiègle (naughty) · gl congorro (causing mischief) · ga anmhailíseach (naughty) · eo petolema (naughty) · gl lumedrudo (causing mischief) · ja 行儀が悪い (naughty) · fr méchant (naughty) · gl lumedrudo (naughty) · mi porohīanga (causing mischief) · bg злонамерен (naughty) · hu kópé (naughty) · gl galafate (naughty) · da fræk (naughty) · it vivace (causing mischief) · tr yaramaz (naughty) · af stout (naughty) · gl pilengre (causing mischief) · de schelmisch (naughty) · tr bacaksız (causing mischief) · gl pillabán (causing mischief) · gl galbín (naughty) · gl pegureiro (causing mischief) · gl piardeiro (naughty) · cmn 淘氣 /淘气 (naughty) · kmr destmatî (naughty) · pt sapeca (causing mischief) · cmn 調皮 /调皮 (naughty) · lt išdaigus (causing mischief) · ru озорно́й (naughty) · it birichino (causing mischief) · hu kártékony (causing mischief) · pl szkodliwy (causing mischief) · tr haşarı (causing mischief) · ar الْمُؤْذِي (naughty) · hu betyár (naughty) · hu csintalan (naughty) · tr bacaksız (naughty) · gl renarte (naughty) · tr haylaz (naughty) · et häbematu (naughty) · gl pilengre (naughty) · fi haitallinen (causing mischief) · gl xistrón (causing mischief) · tr afacan (naughty) · kmr ziyander (causing mischief) · fi ilkeä (naughty) · fr espiègle (causing mischief) · mi raweke (causing mischief)