Mischievous
/ˈmɪstʃɪvəs/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Mischievous means showing a desire to cause trouble or play tricks, but usually in a fun or playful way, not to hurt anyone seriously. It often describes children or animals that do things that are a little naughty but not very bad.
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See It in Action
Playfully causing trouble or annoyance
- •The mischievous child hid his sister’s shoes as a joke.
- •The cat gave a mischievous look before knocking over the vase.
- •She had a mischievous smile after telling a funny secret.
Describing behavior that is slightly naughty but not harmful
- •His mischievous pranks made everyone laugh at school.
- •The puppy’s mischievous chewing caused some mess but no damage.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "mischievous" like "naughty" (A2 word), but less serious and more playful, like teasing or small tricks
- ✓Picture a child hiding a toy or a puppy chewing a shoe but looking happy and innocent
- ✓It's the feeling when someone smiles after doing something a little wrong but funny, like a prank
- ✓Sounds like "MISS-chee-vus" → Imagine someone missing a step but laughing as they do a playful trick
- ✓Think of characters like Puck from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night’s Dream," who plays tricks but means no real harm
- ✓NOT like "mean" (intending to hurt), mischievous is more about fun trouble, not cruelty
- ✓NOT like "bad" (very wrong or harmful), mischievous is light and often forgiven
- ✓NOT like "serious" trouble, mischievous is small and playful
Try Other Words
- •Playful: full of fun and games (Use when the trouble is very light and fun, without any real annoyance)
- •Naughty: behaving badly or not obeying rules (Use when the behavior is more about breaking rules, often with children)
- •Prankish: liking to play tricks (Use when focusing on trick-playing behavior)
- •Impish: showing a playful desire to cause trouble (Use when emphasizing a cute or small kind of mischief)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "mischiev-" (from Old French "meschever" meaning to go wrong) + "-ous" (a suffix meaning full of)
- •Etymology: From Old French "meschever," meaning to go wrong or fail, later meaning to cause trouble
- •Historical development: Originally meant causing harm or failure, but over time softened to playful trouble or teasing
- •Modern usage: Used to describe playful, teasing, or slightly naughty behavior, especially in children or animals
Reflect & Connect
•Can mischievous behavior sometimes be helpful or positive? How?
•How do you decide when mischievous actions are funny and when they become annoying or harmful?
Fill in the blanks
1.The mischievous child laughed because his prank ___ everyone’s attention.
2.A mischievous smile usually means someone is about to ___ a playful trick.
3.Unlike serious trouble, mischievous actions are often ___ and forgiven quickly.
4.The puppy’s mischievous chewing caused a mess, but it was ___, not harmful.
5.When someone is mischievous, they often ___ others in a fun way, not to hurt them.
6.Mischievous behavior is different from being mean because it lacks ___ intent.
7.The teacher smiled at the mischievous student’s joke because it was ___, not rude.