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.]
-
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.
Usage examples of "to make mischief".
I'm just saying that I wouldn't have any inclination to make mischief, because I would already have what I want, and I would have some conscience.
She had summoned Fracto, who had been glad to make mischief, and now she had what she wanted.
After that you might as well depart these My demesnes, for you will never have another opportunity to make mischief here.
Depend upon it, if she refrained from telling anyone else she would be bound to tell him, only too glad of the opportunity to make mischief between him and his wife.
I looked intelligent, and he explained that Wise was a former secessionist who might be out to make mischief.
He wanted what evil men always want: to have power and use that power to make mischief.