Mischief /(mĭs"chĭf)/

Mis·chief

Mischief

n.
  1. Harm; damage; esp., disarrangement of order; trouble or vexation caused by human agency or by some living being, intentionally or not; often, calamity, mishap; trivial evil caused by thoughtlessness, or in sport.
    Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs.
    — Ps. lii. 2.
    The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs.
  2. Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble.
    The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.

Phrases & Compounds
To be in mischief
to be doing harm or causing annoyance.
To make mischief
to do mischief, especially by exciting quarrels.
To play the mischief
to cause great harm; to throw into confusion.
Syn. -- Damage; harm; hurt; injury; detriment; evil; ill.

-- Mischief, Damage, Harm. Damage is an injury which diminishes the value of a thing; harm is an injury which causes trouble or inconvenience; mischief is an injury which disturbs the order and consistency of things. We often suffer damage or harm from accident, but mischief always springs from perversity or folly.

Mischief

v. t.
  1. To do harm to. [Obs.]