Sekirov Dictionary

mischief

UK /ˈmɪsˌt͡ʃiːf/US /ˈmɪs.t͡ʃɪf/

noun 10
verb 2
forms 3

noun10

•
Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
- Drink led to mischief.
•
A playfully annoying action.
- John's mischief, tying his shoelaces together, irked George at first.
A criminal offence defined in various ways in various jurisdictions, sometimes including causing damage to another's property.
•
A nest or pack of mice or rats.
- Kirac, the leader of the rats under his charge, speaks to the major through his telepathic abilities that manifested after the alien virus infected him and his mischief of rats. — 2014
•
(euphemistic) The Devil; used as an expletive.
- What the mischief are you? and how the mischief did you get here, and where in thunder did you come from? — 1967
(Australia, informal) Casual and/or flirtatious sexual acts.
Harm or injury.
•
Harm or trouble caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause.
- She had mischief in her heart.
- Sooner or later he'll succeed in doing some serious mischief.
•
An injury or an instance of harm or trouble caused by a person or other agent or cause.
- It may end in her doing a great mischief to herself—and perhaps to others too.
•
(no longer used) A cause or agent of annoyance, harm or injury, especially a person who causes mischief.
- Epimetheus was scatter-brained and a mischief to men for having taken the woman [Pandora] that Zeus had formed. — 1993

verb2

•
(no longer used) To do a mischief to; to harm.
- "Not now, Smee," Hook said darkly. "He is only one, and I want to mischief all the seven. Scatter and look for them." — 1911
•
(no longer used) To slander.
- And so it hath been divers times; Men mischiefing the Jews to excuse their own Wickedness: as to instance one Precedent in the time of a certain King of Portugal. — 1708

forms

mischiefed · mischiefing · mischiefs

This dictionary works without the internet: on your phone · in Chrome