Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. mischief, mischief-making, mischievousness, deviltry, devilry, devilment, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan(noun)

   reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

2. maleficence, mischief, balefulness(noun)

   the quality or nature of being harmful or evil

Wiktionary(2.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. mischief(Noun)

   Harm or evil caused by an agent or brought about by a particular cause.

2. mischief(Noun)

   One who causes mischief. In a milder sense, one who causes petty annoyances. mischief-maker.

3. mischief(Noun)

   Vexatious or annoying conduct.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Mischief(noun)

   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

2. Mischief(noun)

   cause of trouble or vexation; trouble

3. Mischief(verb)

   to do harm to

Freebase(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Mischief

   The etymology of the word comes from Old French meschief, which means "misfortune,' from meschever, "to end badly." In United States criminal law, mischief is an offense against property that does not involve conversion. It typically involves any damage, defacement, alteration, or destruction of property. Common forms include vandalism, graffiti, or some other destruction or defacement of property other than arson. Governed by state law, criminal mischief is committed when a perpetrator, having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that he/she has such right, intentionally damages property of another person, intentionally participates in the destruction of property of another person, or participates in the reckless damage or destruction of property of another person. Criminal mischief is usually a misdemeanor. In computer science and hacker jargon, mischief is a form of attack that clearly indicates the breach of the system and constitutes a form of injury or an infringement of rights, more specifically invasion of privacy, against which legal action can be taken to secure damages. Grey hat hackers often use mischief as a way to signal security breaches to system administrators.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(5.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. Mischief

   mis′chif, n. an ill consequence: evil: injury: damage, hurt: (coll.) the devil, as in 'What the mischief,' &c.—n. Mis′chief-mak′er, one who incites to mischief.—adjs. Mis′chief-mak′ing, causing mischief; Mis′chievous, causing mischief: injurious: prone to mischief.—adv. Mis′chievously.—n. Mis′chievousness.—Play the mischief with, to disturb anything greatly. [O. Fr. meschef, from mes-, ill, chef—L. caput, the head.]

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of mischief in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of mischief in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Sample Sentences & Example Usage

1. Henry Fielding:

   When children are doing nothing, they are doing mischief.

2. Deviprasad Karnik:

   Antrix is investigating. There is no concern, somebody has played a mischief.

3. Robert Hall:

   The innocence of the intention abates nothing of the mischief of the example.

4. R Chamberlain:

   Too much to lament a misery is the next way to draw on a remediless mischief.

5. William Shakespeare:

   To mourn a mischief that is past and gone Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

Images & Illustrations of mischief