mischievouslyadv.
/ˈmɪstʃᵻvəsli/, U.S. /ˈmɪstʃᵻvəsli/, /ˈmɪʃtʃᵻvəsli/ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > badness or evil > [adverb]
noughtlyeOE
wrothec888
unrighteouslyeOE
foullyOE
naughtlyOE
wrothlyc1200
litherlya1225
unwraste?c1225
illc1275
vilelyc1290
shrewdly13..
felonly1303
unwrastlyc1320
viciouslya1325
diverselyc1325
wickly1338
lewdlyc1384
badlyc1405
foula1425
mischievouslyc1426
felonously1436
felonmentc1470
wickedfullyc1480
villainously1484
meschantlya1492
sinisterly1491
noughtily1528
naughtily?1529
perniciously1533
illy1549
naught1549
bad1575
evilly1581
nefariously1599
scelerately1632
improbously1657
piggishly1756
iniquitously1796
pervertedly1804
society > morality > moral evil > wickedness > [adverb]
wrothec888
litherlyc1050
foulOE
sinfullyc1175
quedelya1250
amissc1275
shrewdly13..
felonly1303
wickedly1303
wickc1330
wickly1338
lewdlyc1384
wickeda1400
mischievouslyc1426
felonously1436
felonmentc1470
wickedfullyc1480
villainously1484
meschantlya1492
sinisterly1491
naughtily?1529
perniciously1533
naughtly1575
unsela1583
nefariously1599
scelerately1632
improbously1657
queerly1699
c1426 J. Audelay Poems (1931) 10 (MED) Þay wold not vysete vs nyȝt ne day; Þus wyl þai playn ham to heuen Kyng..Þus we dydon myschyvysly.
a1470 T. Malory Morte Darthur (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) II. 578 Hit was foule done and myschevously.
a1500 tr. A. Chartier Traité de l'Esperance (Rawl.) (1974) 84 Notwithstonding their reding thei shall fynde that thei live myschevously, and aftyr their deth to be damned.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 168 Thay causet to put doune mony baith of the Nobilitie, and of the Vulgar people, mischeiuouslie.
1687 T. Heyrick New Atlantis ii. 36 Prying Eyes (And Hereticks are mischievously wise) May break the spell, and see thro' the disguise.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > suffering > misery > [adverb]
armlyeOE
un-i-sellyOE
wretchlikec1175
wretchlyc1175
unsellyc1275
wretchedlyc1340
woefullya1393
caitifly1393
miserably?a1425
lodderlyc1425
mischievously?a1439
sorrily1496
comfortlessly1852
a1439 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Bodl. 263) v. 2849 Bytinctus..was maad feeble & feynt, Ageyn the Romeyns myscheuousli atteynt.
a1450 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Lamb.) (1887) i. 14107 (MED) Mescheuously þen fel such cas Þat sire Wawayn slayn þer was.
c1450 J. Lydgate Fall of Princes (Rylands) f. 109 (MED) How Tholome, kyng of Egipt..in lechery spende his lif & mischeuesly ended.
?c1450 (?a1400) J. Wyclif Eng. Wks. (1880) 387 Þer schuld no man haue be mischeuously nedy.
1567 Compend. Bk. Godly Songs (1897) 182 Except ze mend,..ȝe sall end all mischeuouslie.
1660 R. Coke Elements Power & Subjection 166 in Justice Vindicated The same judgment is to be given upon him, who mischievously ended his life with pain.
3. In such a manner as to produce injury or damage; with injurious intent, effect, or result. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > [adverb]
evilc1275
balefullya1375
harmfullyc1374
teenfullya1375
wickedlya1375
unsoundlyc1400
ill1483
mischievously1512
noisomely1589
infectiously1609
evilly1631
damageably1648
poisonously1746
noxiously1755
injuriously1809
nocuously1847
damagingly1854
banefully1865
damnously1884
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > [adverb]
evilc1275
balefullya1375
harmfullyc1374
teenfullya1375
wickedlya1375
unsoundlyc1400
prejudicially1467
ill1483
mischievously1512
pestilently1528
badly1580
noisomely1589
infectiously1609
prejudiciously1614
evilly1631
damageably1648
deleteriously1657
disserviceablya1670
noxiously1755
injuriously1809
nocuously1847
damagingly1854
banefully1865
detrimentally1879
damnously1884
1512 Act 4 Hen. VIII c. 20 Preamble The said..myschevously disposed persons.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 125 Sic deidlie dwawmes so mischeifaislie..hes my hairt ouirpast.
1583 P. Stubbes Second Pt. Anat. Abuses sig. B5v To dispense with them that shall thus mischieuouslye behaue themselues.
a1631 J. Donne Βιαθανατος (1647) i. iv. §1 Not likely to write any thing in jest mischieuously interpretable.
1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. iv. 282 The King was very Mischievously advised.
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 339 By mischievously endeavouring to foment a civil war.
1839 C. Thirlwall Hist. Greece (new ed.) II. xi. 76 Though it was often mischievously abused, it may be questioned whether it was not a salutary precaution.
1885 Truth 28 May 839/2 Lord Beaconsfield never exercised his patronage so mischievously as when he raised Dr. Ryle to the Bench.
1988 F. Kaplan Dickens ii. 53 He also ferociously attacked Mary Anne Leigh for meddling mischieviously.
4. In weakened sense: naughtily, with playful malice; teasingly, impishly, roguishly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > playful mischievousness > [adverb]
mischievously1730
naughtily1827
slyly1837
impishly1864
sassily1883
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adverb] > mischievously
mischievously1803
1730 W. Harte Ess. Satire 8 The Verse..nicely pointed in th' Horatian way Wounds keen, like Syrens mischievously gay.
1786 S. Henley tr. W. Beckford Arabian Tale 113 I had rather that his teeth should mischievously press my finger; than the richest ring, of the imperial treasure.
1803 C. Lamb Let. 13 Apr. in Lett. C. & M. A. Lamb (1976) II. 109 I mischievously wished that by some inauspicious jolt the whole contents might be shaken.
1807 Salmagundi 14 Aug. 265 A shrewd old gentleman, who stood listening by with a mischievously equivocal look.
1868 L. M. Alcott Little Women I. xiii. 202 He had..frightened the maidservants half out of their wits, by mischievously hinting that one of his dogs was going mad.
1907 G. B. Shaw John Bull's Other Island iii. 72 He goes, chuckling mischievously.
1982 J. Simms Unsolicited Gift i. 45 She grinned, and mischievously spun her ring at me in her old manner.
1992 Gramophone (BNC) June 97 A gremlin who mischievously deflected his fingers away from the right notes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.c1426