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
These glassy encasements elevated each itty-bitty snapshot of kitschy urban ephemera (a taxi cab, a bodega coffee cup, a slice of pizza, a smiley-face plastic shopping bag) to a surprising elegance—undercut with impish humor.
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Marina Harss, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2025
At least Elvis Costello’s legendary false start from ’78 was referenced, albeit by an impish Eddie Vedder, not Costello himself.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025
Her glamorous sound, fiery technique and sharp musicality, served up with impish charm and slinky couture, reliably cause runs on the box office.
—Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Enter the impish, shaggy-haired son of an Austrian police officer.
—Danielle Friedman, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
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Wearing a now-iconic red tie and less cartoonish design with more angular and mischievous features, DKC’s version of Kong has been a staple for over 30 years.—
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Her intelligence is that vital and exacting, her wit that mischievous, her concerns – feminism, environmentalism, dystopian societies – that urgently relevant.—
Adjective
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Tiernan McKinney often works on guitar necks, while Kennedy himself has input along the way on design, wood type, color and the wicked inlays found from top to bottom of each piece.—
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The Judean wilds are full of others seeking clarity, plus a wicked merchant named Musa sent to test and torment the young ascetic from Galilee.—
Adjective
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Even more recently, Dua Lipa debuted a playful French manicure with white polka dots on black tips, adding even more white spots all-over a couple accent nails.—
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Ludus refers to playful, game-like love that values fun and avoids deep commitment.—
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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