mischief

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈmɪs.tʃɪf/ UK /ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/ See IPA manual

Freq #10575

Meanings

1

noun
Playful behaviour that causes small trouble or annoyance, especially by children.

The twins were always getting into mischief at school.
2

noun
Harm or damage caused on purpose.

The new law aims to prevent criminal mischief.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · harm or damage caused on... harm

More agitation annoyance badness corruption damagedelinquincydemolition destruction detrimentdevilishnessdevilment devilry

Opposites

decorum gentility gentlemanliness probity propriety seemliness sportsmanship

Word family

Derived forms mischief-makermischieffulmischieflessmischiefmakingmischievous mischievously mischievousness

Related forms evil troublemaker

Etymology

From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”).

myschef Middle English meschief Old French caput Latin

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# mischief

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈmɪs.tʃɪf/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈmɪs.tʃiːf/
**Frequency rank:** 10575

## Meanings
1. Playful behaviour that causes small trouble or annoyance, especially by children.
2. Harm or damage caused on purpose.

## Examples
- The twins were always getting into mischief at school.
- The new law aims to prevent criminal mischief.

## Synonyms
- agitation
- annoyance
- badness
- corruption
- damage
- delinquincy
- demolition
- destruction
- detriment
- devilishness
- devilment
- devilry

## Antonyms
- decorum
- gentility
- gentlemanliness
- probity
- propriety
- seemliness
- sportsmanship

## Derived Forms
- mischief-maker
- mischiefful
- mischiefless
- mischiefmaking
- mischievous
- mischievously
- mischievousness

## Related Forms
- evil
- troublemaker

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: myschef
- Root: meschief
- Root: caput

## Etymology
From Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”).

## AI Etymology
Mischief comes from Middle English myschef, meschef, meschief, mischef, from Old French meschief, from meschever (“to bring to grief”), from mes- (“badly”) + chever (“happen; come to a head”), from Vulgar Latin *capare, from Latin caput (“head”). In present-day English its meanings include playful behaviour that causes small trouble or annoyance, especially by children and harm or damage caused on purpose. The historical chain runs through myschef (Middle English), meschief (Old French), and caput (Latin). Related and derived forms include evil, troublemaker, mischief-maker, and mischiefful.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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mischief

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