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Antonyms for mischief


Grammar : Noun
Spell : mis-chif
Phonetic Transcription : ˈmɪs tʃɪf



Definition of mischief

Origin :
  • c.1300, "evil condition, misfortune, need, want," from Old French meschief "misfortune, harm, trouble; annoyance, vexation" (12c., Modern French méchef), verbal noun from meschever "come or bring to grief, be unfortunate" (opposite of achieve), from mes- "badly" (see mis- (2)) + chever "happen, come to a head," from Vulgar Latin *capare "head," from Latin caput "head" (see capitulum). Meaning "harm or evil considered as the work of some agent or due to some cause" is from late 15c. Sense of "playful malice" first recorded 1784.
  • Mischief Night in 19c. England was the eve of May Day and of Nov. 5, both major holidays, and perhaps the original point was pilfering for the next day's celebration and bonfire; but in Yorkshire, Scotland, and Ireland the night was Halloween. The useful Middle English verb mischieve (early 14c.) has, for some reason, fallen from currency.
  • noun trouble, damage
Example sentences :
  • She was smiling now, and he caught a gleam of mischief in her eyes.
  • Extract from : « Viviette » by William J. Locke
  • You are like two kittens, and might be in mischief or danger before you knew.
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
  • And yet is talk a less evil than the mischief of mere experimenters.
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
  • She had thought of sending a telegram, but saw that that might do mischief.
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
  • That scoundrel Corney has been about some mischief—damn him!
  • Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald
  • That is romantic imagination; and the mischief it does is incalculable.
  • Extract from : « A Treatise on Parents and Children » by George Bernard Shaw
  • It looks as if the Prince were ripe for worse than mischief.
  • Extract from : « The Man Shakespeare » by Frank Harris
  • "I'll have to think that over," she said, with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
  • Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Something in her eyes roused the devil of mischief that always slumbered in him.
  • Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • Then I knew why Opata smelled of mischief when he had caught snakes in the lagoon.
  • Extract from : « The Trail Book » by Mary Austin

Synonyms for mischief

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019