Mischief
Mischief (mis"chif) , noun
[Old English meschef bad result, Old French meschief; pref. mes- (Latin minus less) + chief end, head, French chef chief. See Minus, and Chief.]
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. — Chaucer
Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs.
The practice whereof shall, I hope, secure me from many mischiefs.
2.
Cause of trouble or vexation; trouble. — Milton
The mischief was, these allies would never allow that the common enemy was subdued.
Collocations (3)
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. [Colloquial]
Mischief , transitive verb
To do harm to. [Obsolete] — Milton