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# mischief

«mischief» in Mova's school dictionary: **naughty behaviour that is usually playful and not very…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (mischief — uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Mischief is naughty behaviour that is usually playful and not very harmful, like playing tricks. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#m1)

2) Mischief can also mean harm or trouble caused on purpose. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#m2)

3) A wish to tease or play tricks, as in "a look of mischief". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In stories, children and animals "get up to mischief"; it tells the reader the character is cheeky and fun but causes trouble. In everyday life parents warn children to keep out of mischief. In the UK "Mischief Night" is a night of pranks in some places. Phrases: "get up to mischief", "keep out of mischief", "make mischief", "full of mischief", "a twinkle of mischief".

### examples

- The puppy got into mischief and chewed my slippers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x1)
- Grandma gave us jobs to keep us out of mischief. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x2)
- His eyes were full of mischief as he hid the teacher's chalk. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x3)
- The twins are always up to mischief. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x4)
- The goblins made mischief in the village every night. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x5)
- She gave me a look of mischief before pouring water on Dad. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x6)
- (formal) The rumours were spread to make mischief between the two families. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x7)
- His hands are always kept in mischief. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/#x8)

### note

Uncountable: you say "some mischief", not "a mischief" or "mischiefs". Spelled "mischief", with -ief. The adjective is "mischievous", pronounced MIS-chi-vus with three syllables; saying "mis-CHEE-vee-us" with an extra syllable is a common mistake.

### In the corpora

- [The King decides that the Knave must have imitated someone's handwriting, and that not signing it proves he is up to mischief.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/23-alice-alices-evidence-1/12/)
- [You must have meant some mischief, or else you'd have signed your name like an honest man.»](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/23-alice-alices-evidence-1/30/)
- [Twinkling eyes mean fun and mischief, so she is probably hiding a present.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/18-inference-reading-between-the-lines/8/)
- [And Samson said unto them: 'This time shall I be quits with the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/JDG.450/)
- [And David knew that Saul devised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest: 'Bring hither the ephod.'](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/jps/1SA.671/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «mischief» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mischief/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.