impish
gb/ˈɪmpɪʃ/ us/ˈɪmpɪʃ/
C1
Inglés
Acepciones
0 acepciones
adjective
C1
property
1
playfully mischievous and cheeky
playfully doing small bad things that are funny
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is impish; an impish [smile/grin/look]
Error frecuente:
Don’t use impish for serious or harmful wrongdoing; it usually suggests harmless, amusing mischief.
Sinónimos
mischievous (More general; can be neutral or negative depending on context.)
|
cheeky (More informal; often about rude-but-funny remarks.)
|
roguish (Suggests charming rule-breaking, often in adults.)
Antónimos
well-behaved (Not causing trouble or mischief.)
|
serious (Not playful or joking in manner.)
Colocaciones
impish grin
|impish smile
|impish look
|impish expression
|impish laugh
|impish sense of humor
|impish charm
|impish behavior
|impish child
|impish twinkle
Temas
personality
|emotions
|social
Ejemplos
- He gave her an impish grin and hid the birthday present behind his back.
- The puppy had an impish energy, stealing socks and darting out of reach.
- Her impish sense of humor kept the meeting light even when things got tense.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The boy had an impish smile.
- She made an impish joke.
adjective
literary
C2
property
2
devilish or elf-like
like a small naughty spirit or devil
Patrón de uso:
an impish [creature/face/figure]
Error frecuente:
This sense is more descriptive and literary; in everyday speech it usually just means ‘playfully mischievous.’
Sinónimos
elfin (Focuses on small, fairy-like qualities rather than mischief.)
|
devilish (Stronger and darker; can imply more wickedness.)
Antónimos
angelic (Suggests innocence and goodness rather than mischievous wickedness.)
Colocaciones
impish creature
|impish sprite
|impish little figure
|impish face
|impish eyes
|impish spirit
|impish devil
|impish glee
Temas
appearance
|literature
|mythology
Ejemplos
- In the story, an impish sprite leads travelers off the path at night.
- The mask had an impish face with sharp eyebrows and a sly smile.
- The artist painted impish figures dancing at the edge of the firelight.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The story has an impish spirit in it.
Gramática
Expresiones
impish grin
1/ˈɪmpɪʃ ɡɹˈɪn/
fixed phrase
a mischievous smile
a smile that shows playful mischief
Ejemplos
- She turned around with an impish grin, clearly hiding something.
- He wore an impish grin as he revealed the harmless prank.
- The child’s impish grin gave away the secret before he spoke.
impish look
1/ˈɪmpɪʃ lˈʊk/
fixed phrase
a mischievous expression
a look that shows playful mischief
Ejemplos
- He shot her an impish look and reached for the confetti.
- The dog had an impish look that said it knew exactly what it had done.
- She gave an impish look and changed the subject.
impish smile
1/ˈɪmpɪʃ smˈaɪl/
fixed phrase
a cheeky, playful smile
a smile that looks a little naughty but fun
Ejemplos
- With an impish smile, she asked if anyone had noticed the switch.
- An impish smile spread across his face when the plan worked.
- He answered with an impish smile and refused to explain.