1
as in wicked
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the children had been so mischievous that we had to pay the babysitter extra and then clean up the mess
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in naughty
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior
punished for their mischievous tricks on the neighbors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in dangerous
causing or capable of causing harm
mischievous gossip that ruined a good teacher's reputation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mischievous
Today the answer to such a question would be merely one data point among many where mischievous and politicized enforcement appears to rule the day.
—
Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
This type of behavior isn't unusual for the mischievous pair.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
And no one can remain beautiful, in the same way, forever, though Kilmer’s mischievous, take-no-prisoners smile hadn’t changed much.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
For families with mischievous kids, another unit with a more robust child lock, like the Samsung or GE models, would be better.
—Meg St-Esprit, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Howard Homonoff, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
This type of behavior isn't unusual for the mischievous pair.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
And no one can remain beautiful, in the same way, forever, though Kilmer’s mischievous, take-no-prisoners smile hadn’t changed much.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 2 Apr. 2025
For families with mischievous kids, another unit with a more robust child lock, like the Samsung or GE models, would be better.
—Meg St-Esprit, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mischievous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mischievous
Adjective
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Well, that and 98-mph fastballs and wicked breaking pitches.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2025
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Chances are its uninhibited critique of privilege, political satire, and wicked social commentary would be softened or edited out.—
Viren Naidu,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Campy, naughty, a little shocking, and a little old hat, The White Lotus’s third season has its flaws and its hang-ups, without question.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
11 Feb. 2025
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This isn't the first time a dog has been caught out doing something naughty, such as the large dog who was caught on camera indulging in some unattended cake at a coffee shop.—
Daniel R. Depetris,
Newsweek,
10 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Oddsmakers, however, still expect the Gators to handle a dangerous Maryland team coming off a thrilling win over Colorado State.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
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The areas at risk for dangerous ocean impacts include San Francisco, coastal North Bay including Point Reyes National Seashore, Santa Cruz, San Francisco's peninsula coast, northern Monterey Bay, southern Monterey Bay, and Big Sur coast.—
Kevin Sabet,
Newsweek,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Pearl Breed: Pit terrier mix Age: 2 years old Pearl is a cuddly, goofy, playful pup looking for her forever home.—
Trish Stinger,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
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The alternating worlds are meant to be playful, but Toontown especially gets exhausting quickly, with characters mugging, clowning and amplifying every limp punchline.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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What happened was my bad behavior and my angst brought the energy finally.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
5 Apr. 2025
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Hundreds of homes were damaged when a bad rainstorm hit in 2023.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The debate over the law centers on balancing accountability for harmful content with the risks of censorship and stifled innovation.—
Daryl Lim,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2025
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Shiny and minty, these balms provide a gloss-like effect while protecting your lips from the sun’s harmful rays.—
Jillian Dara,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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These glassy encasements elevated each itty-bitty snapshot of kitschy urban ephemera (a taxi cab, a bodega coffee cup, a slice of pizza, a smiley-face plastic shopping bag) to a surprising elegance—undercut with impish humor.—
Marina Harss,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2025
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At least Elvis Costello’s legendary false start from ’78 was referenced, albeit by an impish Eddie Vedder, not Costello himself.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The foreign material could pose serious adverse health consequences, leading the FSIS to consider the recall a Class I—the agency's highest level of alert.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
7 Apr. 2025
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And while the metal is usually excreted from the body, and most people experience no adverse side effects, previous research has shown some gadolinium particles have been left behind.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
Video
'Mispronunciations' That May Be Fine
'Mischievous,' 'nuclear,' and other words to pronounce with caution.
Cite this Entry
“Mischievous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mischievous. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
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