Mischief
'mɪstʃɪf
Definitions
2 meaningsBehavior that causes minor annoyance or harm; playful misbehavior.
'mɪstʃɪf
Playful misbehavior or troublemaking.
The kittens were up to mischief, batting at the Christmas tree ornaments.
💡 Simply: Mischief is like when your little brother or sister is being a bit naughty, like hiding your toys or making silly faces. It's not really bad, just a bit of fun trouble!
👶 For kids: Doing something naughty but fun, like playing tricks on your friends!
More Examples
His mischievous grin hinted at some prank he was about to pull.
The children's mischief kept the babysitter busy all evening.
How It's Used
"The children were getting into mischief."
"Shakespeare often used characters to create mischief and comedic effect."
Harm or damage, especially caused by a person or event; trouble.
'mɪstʃɪf
Harm or injury caused by someone or something.
The storm caused considerable mischief to the coastal towns.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, mischief can also mean something bad happens, like a storm causing mischief to the houses, breaking windows or causing other problems.
👶 For kids: When something bad happens or something gets broken.
More Examples
The vandals caused mischief to the school's property.
His careless actions resulted in a lot of mischief.
How It's Used
"The lawsuit claimed mischief had been done to the reputation of the company."
"The drought caused mischief in the agricultural sector."
Idioms & expressions
get up to mischief
To start doing something naughty or troublesome.
"The children were always getting up to mischief when left unsupervised."
make mischief
To cause trouble or to do something that annoys or harms someone.
"The gossiping neighbors were always trying to make mischief."
From Middle English *mischef*, from Old French meschief 'misfortune, harm', from mes- 'badly' + chief 'head, end' (related to *chef*).
The word 'mischief' has been used since the 13th century, initially referring to misfortune or harm and later evolving to encompass playful misbehavior.
Memory tip
Think of a 'missed chief' – the head person, or the boss, being inconvenienced by playful actions.
Word Origin
"misfortune, harm"