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
For production designer Cara Brower, the assignment wasn’t about designing sets that were perfect historical recreations, but revealing a perfect window into Hedda’s (Tessa Thompson) impish tastes and proclivities.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The hotel concierge is our impish rando in this one.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
The show’s impish pairing of the President and Satan, in a love affair that recalled an earlier romance that Parker and Stone had imagined between the devil and Saddam Hussein, got the bulk of the attention.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2025
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.
—Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impish
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2025
The hotel concierge is our impish rando in this one.
—Rachel Handler, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025
The show’s impish pairing of the President and Satan, in a love affair that recalled an earlier romance that Parker and Stone had imagined between the devil and Saddam Hussein, got the bulk of the attention.
—Ian Crouch, New Yorker, 28 Nov. 2025
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.
—Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impish
Adjective
-
His mischievous-urchin phase was short-lived.—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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Those mischievous Minions will have their Olympic moment after all.—
Dave Skretta,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The winds that kick up this time of year proved wicked.—
Jacques Kelly,
Baltimore Sun,
7 Feb. 2026
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Mimics tells the story of Sam, a struggling impressionist who makes a pact with a wicked puppet.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Super Bowl Sunday, Olandria Carthen and Nic Vansteenberghe both posted Instagram Stories from the game, including one playful video of the two of them together in their hotel room.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
9 Feb. 2026
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The fragrance opens with a playful burst of juicy raspberry before folding into warm vanilla blossom, eventually settling into a smooth veil of cashmere musk that feels cozy without ever becoming heavy.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impish. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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