01 n. Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or vexation caused by human agency or by some living being, intentionally or not; ofte…
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1.
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.“Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs.” — Ps. lii. 2.“The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs.” — Fuller.
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2.
Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble.“The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.” — Swift.
Phrases & compounds
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.
Syn.
Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.
-- 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.