ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mischievous

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈmɪstʃəvəs// UK //mˈɪstʃɪvəs// mis·chievous

adj. describing someone who likes to have fun by playing harmless tricks or causing a little bit of trouble.

adj. showing a playful desire to cause trouble or annoyance, typically in a way that is not intended to be serious or harmful.


SIMPLE

The child gave me a mischievous smile before hiding my keys.

CONTEXTUAL

He has a mischievous sense of humor and loves playing practical jokes on his colleagues during lunch breaks.

COMPLEX

The author's mischievous prose often leads the reader down a path of false assumptions only to reveal a surprising and lighthearted twist in the final chapter.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English myschevous, mischevous, from Anglo-Norman meschevous, from Old French meschever, from mes- (“mis-”) + chever (“come to an end”) (from chef (“head”)). By surface analysis, mischief + -ous.

Usage

Often used to describe facial expressions, such as a look, grin, or glint in the eye.

Pitfall

He is very mischieviousHe is very mischievousLearners often add an extra 'i' before the 'ous' ending, leading to a common spelling and pronunciation error.

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