different between deadly vs mischievous

English

Etymology

From Middle English dedly, dedlych, dedlich, from Old English d?adl?? (adjective); corresponding to dead +? -ly. Cognate with Dutch dodelijk, German tödlich.

The adverb is from Middle English dedliche, from Old English d?adl??e (adverb), from the adjective.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?d?d.li/

Adjective

deadly (comparative deadlier or more deadly, superlative deadliest or most deadly)

1. (obsolete, rare) Subject to death; mortal.
2. Causing death; lethal.
3. Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile.
4. Very accurate (of aiming with a bow, firearm, etc.).
5. (informal) Very boring.
6. (informal) Excellent, awesome, cool.

Usage notes

In Australia, the sense "excellent, awesome, cool" is especially used by, or in connection with, Indigenous Australians.

Derived terms

• deadliness
• deadly sin

Translations

Adverb

deadly (comparative more deadly, superlative most deadly)

1. (obsolete) Fatally, mortally.
2. In a way which suggests death.

3. Extremely, incredibly.

Usage notes

Some adjectives commonly collocating with deadly: serious, clever, good

Derived terms

• fail-deadly

Translations

Related terms

• dead

English

Alternative forms

• mischievious, mischevious (nonstandard forms)

Etymology

From Middle English myschevous, mischevous, from Anglo-Norman meschevous, from Old French meschever, from mes- (“mis-”) + chever (“come to an end”) (from chef (“head”)). Synchronically analyzable as mischief +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?s.t???.v?s/, /?m?s.t???.v?s/
• (nonstandard) /m?s.?t??i?.vi.?s/ (often along with the nonstandard spelling misch(i)evious)
• (dated) /m?s.?t??i?.v?s/

Adjective

mischievous (comparative more mischievous, superlative most mischievous)

1. Causing mischief; injurious.
2. Troublesome, cheeky, badly behaved.

   Matthew had a twin brother called Edward, who was always mischievous and badly behaved.

Usage notes

The spelling "misch(i)evious" and similar ones can be found since the 16th century, so the corresponding pronunciation is at least as old. But despite being common in a wide range of social classes today, these spellings and the corresponding pronunciation are still considered nonstandard and often viewed as incorrect.

Synonyms

• (causing mischief): harmful, hurtful, detrimental, noxious, pernicious, destructive; see also Thesaurus:harmful
• (badly-behaved): badly-behaved, naughty

Derived terms

• mischievously
• mischievousness

Translations

Further reading

• mischievous in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• mischievous in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• mischievous at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• mischevious