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childhood mischief

childhood mischief

3.0
Playful, slightly naughty actions that children do for fun
  • noun
translation icon : travieso de la infancia
  • Do you remember our childhood mischief?

Examples

  • Many friendships are formed through shared childhood mischief and adventures.

  • He often got into childhood mischief with his cousins during the summer holidays.

  • Stories of childhood mischief brought a smile to the teacher's face.

  • His childhood mischief often got him into trouble.

  • The children giggled as they shared stories about their childhood mischief, like the time they played pranks on their neighbors.

  • Her childhood mischief included sneaking cookies from the jar while her mother wasn't looking.

  • Growing up, his childhood mischief often involved chasing after the ice cream truck with his friends.

Synonyms

mischief
vschildhood mischief
34 2.7

Naughty actions often done by children that annoy people or cause small harm

is milder, focusing on innocent playful acts rather than harmful ones
naughtiness
vschildhood mischief
2 3.2

Behaviour that breaks rules and teases others, often by children

describes specific playful acts typical of young people rather than a general tendency
mischievousness
vschildhood mischief
1 4.6

Playful actions that cause small harmless trouble for fun

focuses on playful acts typical of young people not just the quality
mischief-making
vschildhood mischief
1 6.0

The act of causing trouble or harm to others on purpose

is more innocent and playful rather than deliberate harmful behavior
up to mischief
vschildhood mischief
  • Informal
3.9

Doing playful, slightly naughty things that are not serious

is specific to behavior typical of young people rather than any age
harmless devilment
vschildhood mischief
7.0

Small playful acts that do no real harm

is used for mild acts typical of young people rather than adults
up to some devilment
vschildhood mischief
  • UK
9.6

Doing small naughty things for fun

refers to typical mild acts of young people rather than the active moment

Antonyms

101 3.3

A state of being fully grown in body, mind, or feelings

53 2.7

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

How Mischievous

prank
  • Informal
202 3.2
childhood mischief
3.0
naughtiness
2 3.2
playfulness
8 2.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

childhood + mischief

The phrase combines 'childhood' (the stage of life) with 'mischief' (playful or mildly troublesome actions) in a straightforward noun–noun modification, so the overall meaning — playful or minorly troublesome behavior during childhood — is directly compositional. This follows common cross-linguistic patterns and standard English noun modification, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

Childhood mischief paints a simple scene: the part childhood means being a child and the part mischief means small tricks, like hiding a toy or playing a silly prank. That's why the phrase means 'playful' or 'harmless' trouble by children.