mischievous
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- mischievious, mischevious (common misspellings)
Etymology[edit]
From Anglo-Norman meschevous, from Old French meschever, from mes- (“mis-”) + chever (“come to an end”) (from chef (“head”)).
Pronunciation[edit]
Adjective[edit]
mischievous (comparative more mischievous, superlative most mischievous)
- Causing mischief; injurious.
- 1793, Joseph Butler, The Analogy of Religion:
- ...; 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; ...
- 1892, Henry Sidgwick, Outlines of the History of Ethics:
- 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; ...
- 1793, Joseph Butler, The Analogy of Religion:
- Troublesome, cheeky, badly behaved.
- Matthew had a twin brother called Edward, who was always mischievous and badly behaved.
Synonyms[edit]
- (causing mischief): harmful, hurtful, detrimental, noxious, pernicious, destructive; see also Wikisaurus:harmful
- (badly-behaved): badly-behaved, naughty
Derived terms[edit]
Translations[edit]
causing mischief
naughty
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External links[edit]
- mischievous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
- mischievous in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
- mischievous at OneLook Dictionary Search
