Standard Lemma guide

puckish

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpʌkɪʃ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AH1 K IH0 SH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Having a tendency to play tricks on people or tease people by making silly jokes about them; mischievous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He has a puckish sense of humor.
  • She has a puckish attitude.
  • He has a puckish grin.
  • They are so puckish for their love of practical jokes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: impish, mischievous

Antonyms: none provided

2

adjective satellite

Meaning 2

naughtily or annoyingly playful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • teasing and worrying with impish laughter
  • a wicked prank

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arch, impish, implike, mischievous, pixilated, prankish, wicked

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Puck + -ish, after the mischievous fairy in English folklore who is also a character in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.