Mischief \Mis"chief\, n. [OE. meschef bad result, OF. meschief;
pref. mes- (L. minus less) + chief end, head, F. chef chief.
See Minus, and Chief.]
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. --Chaucer.
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs. --Ps. lii. 2.
The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from
many mischiefs. --Fuller.
2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble. --Milton.
The mischief was, these allies would never allow
that the common enemy was subdued. --Swift.
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. [Colloq.]
Syn: Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.
Usage: 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.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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