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puckishness

puckishness

8.8
A playful, teasing way of behaving that surprises people
  • noun
  • /ˈpʌkɪʃnəs/
translation icon : traviesura
  • His puckishness charmed everyone at the party, making even the shyest guests laugh.

Examples

  • His puckishness always lightens the mood at parties.

  • There's a certain puckishness in her smile that hints at hidden jokes.

  • Critics admired the author's puckishness in weaving subtle pranks into the narrative.

  • The children giggled at her puckishness during the game.

  • Her puckishness delighted everyone at the party, as she playfully teased her friends.

  • The child's puckishness was evident when he pulled funny faces to make everyone laugh.

  • His puckishness often got him into trouble, as he loved to play pranks on his classmates.

Synonyms

naughtiness
vspuckishness
2 3.2

Behaviour that breaks rules and teases others, often by children

is more clever and less childlike in its mischief
goofiness
vspuckishness
  • Informal
2 3.2

A way of acting that is silly, playful, and often makes people laugh

is less clumsy and more intentionally mischievous
jocularity
vspuckishness
1 8.0

A playful, joking way of behaving that makes people laugh

is more about playful mischief than general joking
mischievousness
vspuckishness
1 4.6

Playful actions that cause small harmless trouble for fun

is more about lively mischief than deliberate trouble
impishness
vspuckishness
1 6.7

A playful, slightly naughty act like a small joke or trick

is more capricious and less just joking
sauciness
vspuckishness
  • Informal
1 7.0

Bold playful behaviour that is a little rude

is less rude and more gently mischievous in tone
cheekiness
vspuckishness
  • Informal
1 5.8

A bold, slightly rude way of speaking or acting that is playful and shows little respect

is more mischievous and less clearly disrespectful
zaniness
vspuckishness
1 7.1

Funny, silly, unpredictable behaviour or ideas that make people laugh

is more focused on teasing mischief than oddity
prankishness
vspuckishness
8.4

A liking for doing playful, slightly naughty tricks on other people

is usually lighter and less planned in action
roguishness
vspuckishness
7.5

A playful habit of doing mischief or telling small lies that amuses people

is more focused on playful mischief than charm
waggishness
vspuckishness
  • Literature
8.1

A playful, slightly naughty way of being funny that makes people smile

is more about mischievous action than clever talk
archness
vspuckishness
9.1

Playful, slightly cheeky teasing that makes people smile

is more innocent and purely playful rather than improper
clownishness
vspuckishness
4.6

Behaving in a silly, playful way like a clown to make people laugh

is subtler and more sly than broad clowning
clownery
vspuckishness
  • Informal
6.1

Silly behavior meant to make people laugh

is less performative and more quietly playful
whimsicality
vspuckishness
7.9

A playful, imaginative way of acting or creating that seems unusual and unpredictable

is more about teasing mischief than imaginative whimsy

Antonyms

53 2.7

A calm and honest way of speaking or acting that shows you mean what you say

How Playful

puckishness
8.8
impishness
1 6.7
playfulness
8 2.5

Surface Forms

puckishness singular
puckishnesses plural

Morphology

puckishness = puckish (semi-transparent) = puck + ish + ness

The noun is regularly formed from the adjective 'puckish' with '-ness', but understanding 'puckish' may require cultural knowledge of 'puck' or the adjective sense, so the full derivation is only partly transparent.

Etymology

The word puckishness comes from Puck, a little mischievous fairy in old English stories and in Shakespeare, with the endings -ish and -ness that turn the idea into a quality. So, puckishness means being 'playfully mischievous', like someone who enjoys small jokes and tricks.