MISCHIEVOUSNESS

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does mischievousness mean? 

• MISCHIEVOUSNESS (noun)
  The noun MISCHIEVOUSNESS has 3 senses:

1. an attribute of mischievous children

2. the trait of behaving like an imp

3. reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

  Familiarity information: MISCHIEVOUSNESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MISCHIEVOUSNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An attribute of mischievous children

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

badness; mischievousness; naughtiness

Hypernyms ("mischievousness" is a kind of...):

disobedience (the trait of being unwilling to obey)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mischievousness"):

prankishness; rascality; roguishness (the trait of indulging in disreputable pranks)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The trait of behaving like an imp

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

impishness; mischievousness; puckishness; whimsicality

Hypernyms ("mischievousness" is a kind of...):

fun; playfulness (a disposition to find (or make) causes for amusement)

Derivation:

mischievous (naughtily or annoyingly playful)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

devilment; devilry; deviltry; mischief; mischief-making; mischievousness; rascality; roguery; roguishness; shenanigan

Hypernyms ("mischievousness" is a kind of...):

misbehavior; misbehaviour; misdeed (improper or wicked or immoral behavior)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "mischievousness"):

blaze; hell (noisy and unrestrained mischief)

monkey business (mischievous or deceitful behavior)

hooliganism; malicious mischief; vandalism (willful wanton and malicious destruction of the property of others)

Derivation:

mischievous (deliberately causing harm or damage)

 Context examples 

But Mrs. Morland knew so little of lords and baronets, that she entertained no notion of their general mischievousness, and was wholly unsuspicious of danger to her daughter from their machinations.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)