mischievous, a.
(ˈmɪstʃɪvəs)
Forms: α. 4 mischuos, myschefous, 4–5 meschevous, 4–6 mis-, myschevous, 5 meschievous, -chyevous, myschevos, -us, -es, myschyvys, myshevouse, 6 mischevos, mischefous, mischevus, mischiefous, mischivous, mischeevous, Sc. mischeivous, mischeifais, 7 mischeifous, 6– mischievous. β (now only dial., vulg., and joc.). 6–8 mischevi(e)ous, 7– mischievious, mischeivious.
[a. AF. meschevous (c 1400), f. OF. meschev-er mischieve v. or meschef mischief n.: see -ous.
The stressing on the second syllable was common in literature till about 1700; it is now dialectal, vulgar, and jocular.]
† 1. Unfortunate, calamitous, disastrous. Chiefly of events; also occas. of persons, miserable, needy, poverty-stricken. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 158 Whan kyng R. herd of þat mischuos tide [orig. la meschaunce], & how his schippis misferd. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 389 Þis almes⁓ȝevynge haþ made alle owre rewme..full pore and nedy and myscheuous. c 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 4713 Þogh þat a man disceuere & pleyne To many a lord his mescheuous myserie. c 1450 Merlin 5 Synne draweth bothe man and woman to myshevouse ende. 1556 Lauder Tractate 453 Quho list to pryde pretend, May be assurde of ane mischeuous end. 1563–83 Foxe A. & M. II. 810/2 Who sayde..that before this day seuenth night Hunne should haue a mischieuous death. |
| absol. a 1380 St. Augustine 870 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1878) 76 Þe vessel..of holichirche..He wolde breke and melte hit smal, Þe mescheuous to parte wiþ al. |
2. Of persons and animals, or their dispositions: Producing or designing mischief or harm; inflicting damage or injury; having a harmful influence or intent.
Now
rare, owing to the predominance of sense 4.
| 1473 J. Warkworth Chron. (Camden) 11 The Lorde Say..and other myscheves peple that were aboute the Kynge. 1535 Coverdale Susanna 28 Y⊇ two elders came also, full of myscheuous ymaginacions agaynst Susanna, to bringe her vnto death. 1563 Winȝet Cert. Tractates Wks. (S.T.S.) II. 33 Quhen that mischeuous Nestorius..began to ryve the flok of Christe. 1595 Spenser Epithal. 342 Ne let mischivous witches with theyr charmes..Fray us. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. ii. i. 33 Thinke him as a Serpents egge, Which hatch'd, would as his kinde grow mischieuous, And kill him in the shell. 1677 in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 37 Some mischievous persons to dishonour my Lord Chancellour..stole the Mace and the two purses. 1724 Richardson De Foe's Tour Gt. Brit. (1769) IV. 35 A People uncivilized, warlike, and very mischievous, commonly called Highland-men; who, being the true Race of antient Scots, speak Irish. 1860 Wharton Law Lex. (ed. 2) s.v. Animals, Domestic animals, or animals not naturally mischievous, such as dogs or oxen. |
3. Of things, events, actions: Fraught with or entailing mischief or harm; having harmful effects or results.
| α c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 390 Þis mischeuous peruertynge of cristis ordenance. c 1471 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 277 Thayre myschevus dedis avaylid ham noughte. 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 31 They committed innumerable wronges and mischieuous actes. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 51 Through wals downe razed wee draw thee mischeuus engyn. 1669 Sturmy Mariner's Mag. c 3 b, The mischievous Storm continuing. 1736 Butler Anal. i. iii. Wks. 1874 I. 53 Vicious actions are, to a great degree, actually punished as mischievous to society. 1792 Burke Corr. (1844) III. 398 The opinions, principles, and practices, which I thought so very mischievous. 1870 Lowell Among my Bks. Ser. i. (1873) 195 A mischievous fallacy. 1888 Bryce Amer. Commw. I. xxvi. 403 To resist a momentary impulse of their constituents which they think mischievous. |
| β 1571–2 Reg. Privy Council Scot. Ser. i. II. 121 Thair mischevious querrell. 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche x. cclxvii, Th' alarmed Gadarens..loading him with chains and fetters, hop'd They now had his mischievious torrent stop'd. 1675 Traherne Chr. Ethics 323 Love without discretion is a mischievious thing. 1747 in Col. Rec. Pennsylv. V. 111 The many mischevious consequences that arose [etc.]. 1913 Mrs. P. Campbell Let. 5 Feb. in B. Shaw & Mrs. Campbell (1952) 81 Some mischeivious personal experience. |
4. Of persons, their conduct, etc.: Disposed to or characterized by acts of playful malice or petty annoyance.
| α 1676 Wycherley Pl. Dealer v. i, Don't we esteem the Monky a Wit amongst Beasts, only because he's mischievous? 1726 Swift Gulliver ii. i, And well remembering how mischievous all Children among us naturally are to Sparrows, Rabbits [etc.]. 1856 C. M. Yonge Daisy Chain ii. ix. 432 She..was only waked by Meta, standing over her with a sponge, looking very mischievous. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. xix. viii. (1872) VIII. 260 M. de Voltaire had..a big Ape, of excessively mischievous turn; who used to throw stones at the passers-by. |
| β 1847 C. M. Yonge Scenes & Characters xv. 194 You thought mischievous was meant in Hannah's sense, when she complains of master Reginald being very mische-vious. 1861 ― Young Step-Mother xxxi. 476 For shame, to be so mischievieous; such a great boy as you. 1952 F. Swinnerton in Bks. of Month Nov.-Dec. 31/1 Wells,..friendly with everybody, mischevious, quick-thinking, nonsensically inventive. |
5. Comb., as
mischievous-eyed,
mischievous-minded adjs.;
† mischievous-stomached a., ill-tempered.
| 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. (1586) 125 b, Moyles that..are..rugged of their body, and mischeuous stomaked [orig. animo indomito]. 1641 True Rel. Dev. Des. Pap. Oxf. A 3 Mischievous minded wretches. 1887 P. M{supc}Neill Blawearie xv. 116 ‘Hey, chappie’, cried out a mischievous-eyed wench, quite unable to restrain her mirth. |
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Add:
[4.] b. In weakened (
usu. positive) sense: charmingly roguish; playful, teasing.
| 1761 G. Colman Jealous Wife i. 15 Lady Freelove is as mischievous as a Monkey, and as cunning too. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. 293 The characters in this act frisk about, here, there, and everywhere, as teasingly as the Jack o'Lantern lights which mischievous boys..throw with a looking-glass on the faces of their opposite neighbours. 1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 1 Nov. 1/2 Stories concerning mischievous and prankish children. 1907 G. B. Shaw John Bull's Other Island iv. 80 Doran is reeling in an ecstasy of mischievous mirth which has infected all his friends. 1967 P. Shaffer Black Comedy 35 Clea is Brindsley's ex-mistress: late twenties, dazzling, emotional, bright and mischievous. 1987 Sunday Express Mag. 15 Feb. 22/4 Robbie's big, dark eyes held a mischievous twinkle. |