devilment
Impish troublemaking spirit
Devilment is mischievous or troublesome behavior, suggesting playful wickedness rather than genuine evil: The boys were up to some devilment in the barn.
The word has an old-fashioned, slightly indulgent tone—the kind of trouble that amuses more than it harms.
More common in British English than American.
Playful trick on someone
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- anticsAbsurd, attention-seeking behavior
- high jinksBoisterous, playful behavior
monkeyshines · roguery · skylarking · escapade · lark · jape · hoax · jest
Playfully causing trouble
- prankishFond of tricks
- puckishWhimsically inclined to tease
- roguishMischievously charming
- cheekyPlayfully disrespectful
elfin · pixie · waggish · arch · sly · whimsical · frolicsome · trickster
Harboring ill will
- spitefulWanting to hurt others
- vindictiveSeeking harm from resentment
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
- viciousCruelly aggressive in nature
sinister · diabolical · nefarious · scheming · hostile · harmful · destructive · malignant
State of being vexed
- annoyanceState of being bothered
- vexationFrustrated annoyance
- irritationMild anger or inflammation
- botherTo annoy or disturb
pest · troublemaking · disruption · provocation · torment · harassment · pestering · needling
prank
Playful trick on someone
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- anticsAbsurd, attention-seeking behavior
high jinks · monkeyshines · roguery · skylarking · escapade · lark · jape · hoax · jest · caper
mischievous
Playfully causing trouble
cheeky · elfin · pixie · waggish · arch · sly · whimsical · frolicsome · trickster · sprite
malevolent
Harboring ill will
- spitefulWanting to hurt others
- vindictiveSeeking harm from resentment
- cruelWillfully causing suffering
vicious · sinister · diabolical · nefarious · scheming · hostile · harmful · destructive · malignant · pernicious
aggravation
State of being vexed
- annoyanceState of being bothered
- vexationFrustrated annoyance
- irritationMild anger or inflammation
bother · pest · troublemaking · disruption · provocation · torment · harassment · pestering · needling · badgering
- mischiefmischief, hijinks, antics, pranks, antic
- audacityboldness, brazenness, audacity, chutzpah, gall
- witticismsquips, witticisms, witticism, bon mots, bon mot
- dark magicblack magic, dark magic, sorcery, witchcraft, dark arts
devilmentseriousness
Earnest, weighty demeanor
solemnity · gravity · gravitas · solemnness · earnestness
devilmentbenevolence
Disposition toward doing good
kindness · good · goodness · virtue · helpfulness
devilmentsaintliness
State of spiritual perfection
innocence · purity · holiness · sanctity · blessedness