elfish

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   resembling or characteristic of an elf; strange, delicate, or otherworldly

   The painter gave the moonlit figure an elfish expression.

2. 2
   adj

   playfully or good-naturedly mischievous

   An elfish smile appeared when she revealed the harmless trick.

Formed from elf + -ish. Elf descends from Old English aelf, a supernatural being in Germanic mythology, while -ish marks resemblance or characteristic behavior. The word can therefore suggest either an elf's uncanny appearance and imagination or an elf's playful mischief.

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