puckish
Full of mischief
Puckish describes someone mischievous, impish, or playfully teasing—after Puck, the trickster fairy in Shakespeare's *A Midsummer Night's Dream*.
The word suggests lighthearted troublemaking rather than malice: a puckish sense of humor, He gave her a puckish grin before hiding her keys.
Small and sprite-like
- pixieTiny magical troublemaker
- fairyTiny winged magical creature
- leprechaunMischievous Irish sprite
- spriteTiny magical creature
goblin · brownie · gremlin · hobgoblin · imp · nymph · sylph · changeling
Someone who plays tricks
- tricksterCunning deceiver in myth
- rascalLovable troublemaker
- scampMischievous young person
- rapscallionMischievous person, usually endearing
scalawag · waggish · roguish · devilish · naughty · sly · scheming · teasing
elfin
Small and sprite-like
- pixieTiny magical troublemaker
- fairyTiny winged magical creature
- leprechaunMischievous Irish sprite
sprite · goblin · brownie · gremlin · hobgoblin · imp · nymph · sylph · changeling · fae
prankster
Someone who plays tricks
rapscallion · scalawag · waggish · roguish · devilish · naughty · sly · scheming · teasing · needling
capricious
Subject to sudden changes
- fancifulImaginatively unrealistic
- quixoticImpractically pursuing lofty goals
- quirkyIdiosyncratically unusual
eccentric · droll · mercurial · unpredictable · impulsive · madcap · zany · flighty · fey · pixilated
frolicsome
Inclined to merriment
- sportiveFond of games
- gamesomeFond of amusement
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
jocular · blithe · merry · sprightly · frisky · carefree · jaunty · gleeful · mirthful · jolly
puckishearnest
Sincerely intense in purpose
sincere · straightforward · guileless · artless · direct
puckishmalicious
Meaning to do harm
cruel · vicious · mean-spirited · malevolent · spiteful