# mischief

/ˈmɪstʃəf/ (US) · /mˈɪstʃɪf/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/mischief
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. playful trouble

noun · CEFR B2 · Humorous

behavior that is slightly bad but usually intended to be funny or playful rather than harmful.

For teachers: conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance or minor trouble without malicious intent.

- The children were very quiet, which usually meant they were up to some mischief.
- The puppy's eyes were full of mischief as he grabbed the slipper and bolted across the lawn.

### 2. legal property damage

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the crime of damaging someone else's property on purpose.

For teachers: a criminal offence involving the intentional or reckless destruction of or damage to another's property.

- He was charged with criminal mischief after breaking the shop window.
- The defendant faced multiple counts of public mischief following the coordinated graffiti attacks on the municipal buildings.

### 3. harm or injury

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

serious harm or damage caused by something.

For teachers: harm, injury, or damage resulting from a specific cause or agent.

- The new law was designed to prevent the mischief caused by unregulated lending.
- The judge sought to interpret the statute in a way that would suppress the mischief and advance the remedy intended by parliament.

### 4. a group of rats

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the special name for a group of rats.

For teachers: the collective noun for a group or pack of rats.

- A mischief of rats lived under the old wooden floorboards of the barn.
- The researcher observed how the mischief of rats interacted when a new food source was introduced to the enclosure.

## Examples

- The children are always getting into mischief when they are bored.
- The puppy caused a bit of mischief by hiding everyone's shoes under the sofa while they were sleeping.
- While his actions were technically a breach of the rules, the headmaster recognized them as harmless mischief rather than a calculated attempt to undermine school authority.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.