as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
the gang of impish children ran into the street, utterly oblivious to the traffic
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Recent Examples of impish
And the first person viewers saw on-screen this week was Patterson’s fellow newcomer Jeremy Culhane—a fresh face to those who have never encountered social-media clips of his impish appearances on the niche comedy streamer Dropout.
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Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
The impish Reeves brings puppy-dog codependence to the scruffy Estragon, who leans on Vladimir as his body and memory fail him.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Despite the austerity of her ambitions, there are moments of lush imagination that leaven the tone somewhat, like a dream sequence in which Teresa, furiously making bread in the middle of the night, is teased by an impish child.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
With an impish grin, the young star carried the film with the confidence of actors four times his age, landing a Golden Globe nomination for his efforts.
—EW.com, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
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Burnett pauses, considers the question, and then flashes a mischievous grin.—
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Dave, feeling mischievous, ushered them towards a window seat and what, on the face of it, seemed a prime spot.—
Adjective
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Park Chan-wook’s latest masterwork is a wicked comedy of capitalism and homicide.—
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So much so that a few of the most popular colorways sold out wicked fast.—
Adjective
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Hudson’s performance kicks into a surprising dramatic gear, the actress’s playful Milwaukee accent settling into a relatively somber key, grappling with dreams dashed.—
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From minimalist finishes to playful graphics and elevated textures, these manicures set the tone for the year ahead, proving that short nails aren’t a fallback—they’re the focus.—
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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