archness
- noun
- /ˈɑːrʧnəs/
:
picardía
- His playful archness during the interview made everyone laugh despite the serious topic.
Examples
-
She spoke with a charming archness, teasing her friend about their unusual choice of outfit.
-
A style that is not the literary expression of an appealing personality—archness alone does not qualify—is simply annoying.
Blog text (29) -
She also has trouble comprehending Henry Tilney, who has "an archness and pleasantry in his manner which interested, though it was hardly understood" by her (17).
Academic text (2018) -
The comedian's archness added a cheeky humor to the otherwise straightforward story.
Synonyms
1
6.7
A playful, slightly naughty act like a small joke or trick
1
5.8
A bold, slightly rude way of speaking or acting that is playful and shows little respect
1
7.0
Bold playful behaviour that is a little rude
A playful, teasing way of behaving that surprises people
A playful habit of doing mischief or telling small lies that amuses people
How Teasing
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Archness comes from the adjective arch, which originally meant 'chief' or 'extreme', and you can see the same arch in archenemy and archbishop. Over time people used arch to mean 'playfully sly', as in an 'arch smile', so archness is the quality of being 'teasing and mischievous'.