Crossword clues for mischief
mischief
- Monkey business
- Reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
- The quality or nature of being harmful or evil
- What imps get into
- Ms. Boss
- A byword for trouble, Bond may be a Commander, but ...
- Monkey business involving the head of military intelligence
- Mike leads playful disruption
- Wrongdoing, devilment
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Mischief \Mis"chief\ (m[i^]s"ch[i^]f), n. [OE. meschef bad result, OF. meschief; pref. mes- (L. minus less) + chief end, head, F. chef chief. See Minus, and Chief.]
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Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or vexation caused by human agency or by some living being, intentionally or not; often, calamity, mishap; trivial evil caused by thoughtlessness, or in sport.
--Chaucer.Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs.
--Ps. lii. -
The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs.
--Fuller.2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble.
--Milton.The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.
--Swift.To be in mischief, to be doing harm or causing annoyance.
To make mischief, to do mischief, especially by exciting quarrels.
To play the mischief, to cause great harm; to throw into confusion. [Colloq.]
Syn: Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.
Usage: Mischief, Damage, Harm. Damage is an injury which diminishes the value of a thing; harm is an injury which causes trouble or inconvenience; mischief is an injury which disturbs the order and consistency of things. We often suffer damage or harm from accident, but mischief always springs from perversity or folly.
Mischief \Mis"chief\, v. t.
To do harm to. [Obs.]
--Milton.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
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.\n
\nMischief 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.
Wiktionary
n. 1 Harm or evil caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause. 2 One who causes mischief. In a milder sense, one who causes petty annoyances. mischief-maker. 3 vex or annoying conduct.
WordNet
n. reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others [syn: mischief-making, mischievousness, deviltry, devilry, devilment, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan]
the quality or nature of being harmful or evil [syn: maleficence, balefulness] [ant: beneficence]
Wikipedia
Mischief or malicious mischief is the specific name for different criminal offenses in a number of different jurisdictions. While the wrongful acts will often involve what is popularly described as vandalism there can be a legal differentiation between the two. The etymology of the word comes from Old French meschief, which means "misfortune", from meschever, "to end badly".
Mischief is a 1985 teen comedy film starring Doug McKeon, Chris Nash, Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelly Preston. The film was directed by Mel Damski and written by Noel Black. The original music score was composed by Barry De Vorzon.
Set in Nelsonville, Ohio, in 1956, its soundtrack features many popular songs from the era.
The yacht Mischief was the victorious American defender of the fourth America's Cup race in 1881 against Canadian challenger Atalanta.
Mischief is an offense against property that does not involve conversion.
Mischief may also refer to:
- Mischief (1931 film), a British comedy film
- Mischief (film), a 1985 teen comedy film
- Mischief (yacht), the victorious American defender of the fourth America's Cup race
- Mischief, original name of the USS Arneb (AKA-56), a US Navy attack cargo ship
- Mr. Mischief, a character in the Mr. Men series
Mischief is a 1931 British comedy film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Ralph Lynn, Winifred Shotter and Jeanne Stuart.
Usage examples of "mischief".
Instead of attempting to secure the allegiance of his son by the generous ties of confidence and gratitude, he resolved to prevent the mischiefs which might be apprehended from dissatisfied ambition.
In the morning the weather was blasty and sleety, waxing more and more tempestuous till about mid-day, when the wind checked suddenly round from the nor-east to the sou-west, and blew a gale as if the prince of the powers of the air was doing his utmost to work mischief.
Even now, he wondered what mischief Morgen planned for both him and Seren.
On the other hand they are decidedly afraid of hurting the feelings of any strong man who might be capable of doing them some mischief unless he saw that he was properly mourned for.
He was warned to change his ways, and as he did not the duke of Montpensier, then governor of the rebellious provinces, thought he would keep Palissy from greater mischief by putting him into prison.
Jones more perhaps than Thwackum himself did, so he contrived to do him more mischief in the mind of Mr.
She found out from a wandering confabulator, a Jongleur from the Warlock Benevolent Mischief School, about Orphic reincarnation banks: and she had never forgiven the mad risk her primitivist parents had taken with her life.
The last sentence was spoken in a defiant tone, and some mischief might have been the consequence, had not Master Prout, who for some time had been listening to the conversation, placed himself with his long staff in hand, between the two, and commanded the peace.
In like manner healthy human provers have become hoarse of voice through taking the plant, and troubled with a severe cough, accompanied with the expectoration of abundant yellow mucus, just as in tubercular mischief beginning at the windpipe.
As for Ramus, if we make him a Servant, we keep him out of mischief, so to speak.
There was no knowing what mischief Burton might have been up to with his retouching tools before his untimely demise.
George was a real nice fellow, though he was a scalawag for mischief, and some said he had a liking for a glass even then.
The second object that employed the attention of the British ministry, was the establishment of the precise limits of Acadia, or Nova Scotia, where the new colony had suffered great mischief and interruption from the incursions of the Indians, excited to these outrages by the subjects and emissaries of France.
Though the Selke and Delfini could not venture to the freshwater inland lakes, there were several Otterfolk in the shallows: a cluster of round, furry faces whose bright, dark eyes lacked the usual merriment and mischief.
If you dispute with me, you will only give Captain Shamil the chance to make mischief and leave your friends and kin weakly defended.