המשמעות המילונית של המילה "שובבות" היא התנהגות או פעולות הגורמות לצרות, נזק או מטרד, במיוחד בצורה שובבה או ילדותית. זה יכול להתייחס גם לנזק או לנזק שנגרמו מהתנהגות או פעולות כאלה. ניתן להשתמש במילה כדי לתאר פגיעה או פגיעה מכוונת ולא מכוונת כאחד.
The whole story came to be known and spread abroad through the villages of the neighbourhood and the devil, who never sleeps, with his love for sowing dissensions and scattering discord everywhere, blowing mischief about and making quarrels out of nothing, contrived to make the people of the other towns fall to braying whenever they saw anyone from our village, as if to throw the braying of our regidors in our teeth.
Nay see whether by bodily strength it be possible to learn or divine the intentions of the enemy, his plans, stratagems, or obstacles, or to ward off impending mischief for all these are the work of the mind, and in them the body has no share whatever.
Sancho took up a position in the rear of all without dismounting from Dapple, whom he dared not desert lest some mischief should befall him.
The entanglement remained for some time a secret, kept hidden by my cunning precautions, until I perceived that a certain expansion of waist in Antonomasia must before long disclose it, the dread of which made us all there take counsel together, and it was agreed that before the mischief came to light, Don Clavijo should demand Antonomasia as his wife before the Vicar, in virtue of an agreement to marry him made by the princess, and drafted by my wit in such binding terms that the might of Samson could not have broken it.
He cursed his want of sense, condemned his hasty resolution, and knew not what course to take to undo the mischief or find some ready escape from it.
If the lady had married some page of hers, or some other servant of the house, as many another has done, so I have heard say, then the mischief would have been past curing.
They roamed wild and free, wreaking havoc, nonsense, and all sorts of mischief among Men.
And if this be true, as it is, why should I now take the trouble to strip stark naked, or do mischief to these trees which have done me no harm, or why am I to disturb the clear waters of these brooks which will give me to drink whenever I have a mind?
He left Danton in the care of Stormaway and walked over to speak to them, his eyes shining with mischief.
But then I have called his attention to it in the letter I wrote to him in the country, and, if he did nothing to prevent the mischief I there pointed out to him, I suppose it was that from pure goodness of heart and trustfulness he would not and could not believe that any thought against his honour could harbour in the breast of so stanch a friend nor indeed did I myself believe it for many days, nor should I have ever believed it if his insolence had not gone so far as to make it manifest by open presents, lavish promises, and ceaseless tears.
