different between malicious vs mischievous

English

Alternative forms

• malitious (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French malicios, from Latin malitiosus, from malitia (“malice”), from malus (“bad”). Displaced native Old English yfelwillende.

Pronunciation

• enPR: m?l?sh'?s, IPA^(key): /m??l???s/

Adjective

malicious (comparative more malicious, superlative most malicious)

1. Of, pertaining to, or as a result of malice or spite
2. spiteful and deliberately harmful

   He was sent off for a malicious tackle on Jones.

Synonyms

• malevolent
• evil
• See also Thesaurus:evil

Derived terms

• maliciously
• maliciousness
• malicious mischief

Translations

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