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
Whenever O’Brien was onstage, balancing impish humor with a palpable love for movies and compassion for an industry where so many recently lost so much to the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles, the ceremony felt light and loose.
—
Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for impish
Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025
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.
—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
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
-
Fargo has an absurdist streak a mile wide and a sense of cosmic comeuppance that suggests the strings are being pulled by a mischievous trickster-god with a mean streak.—
Tanya Melendez,
EW.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The cat's clumsy adventure quickly charmed viewers who recognized the mischievous nature of felines.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Similarly, a text grappling with a wicked problem shouldn’t stay limited by the narrow confines of literary genre, instead blending journalism, memoir, fiction, and narrative nonfiction.—
Melody Glenn
July 23,
Literary Hub,
23 July 2025
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Stinging and 'wicked' Asian needle ants are spreading across the US Are invasive tawny crazy ants in Ohio?—
Kim Luciani,
The Enquirer,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
Both players enjoyed some playful banter during the game.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
29 July 2025
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Many designs incorporate bold color accents, vibrant greens, reds, yellows, and blues by adding a playful contrast to the metals.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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