espiègle
adjective
es·piè·gle e-ˈspyeglᵊ 
: frolicsome, roguish
Did you know?
Espiègle is a corruption of Ulespiegle, the French name for Till Eulenspiegel, a peasant prankster of German folklore. Tales of Eulenspiegel's merry pranks against well-to-do townsmen, clergy, and nobility were first translated into French in 1532 and into English around 1560. In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott introduced his readers to the adjective espiègle and the related noun espièglerie (a word for "roguishness" or "playfulness") in his Waverley novels. Other 19th century authors followed suit, and even today these words are most likely to be encountered in literature.
Synonyms
- arch
- devilish
- elvish
- impish
- knavish
- leprechaunish
- mischievous
- pixie
- pixy
- pixieish
- prankish
- puckish
- rascally
- roguish
- scampish
- sly
- tricksy
- waggish
- wicked
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the espiègle light in the young princess's eye faded when she contemplated the stifling restrictions of court life
Word History
Etymology
French, after Ulespiegle (Till Eulenspiegel), peasant prankster
First Known Use
1816, in the meaning defined above
espiègle
adjective
as in pixie
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness the espiègle light in the young princess's eye faded when she contemplated the stifling restrictions of court life Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- pixie
- wicked
- mischievous
- pixy
- scampish
- playful
- roguish
- arch
- impish
- waggish
- prankish
- lively
- leprechaunish
- tricksy
- rascally
- pixieish
- happy
- teasing
- knavish
- elvish
- sly
- devilish
- puckish
- frolicsome
- kittenish
- energetic
- coltish
- naughty
- coy
- sportful
- spirited
- trickish
- whimsical
- cunning
- lighthearted
- sportive
- misbehaving
- frisky
- antic
- wily
- tricky
- crafty
- troublemaking
- riling
- gay
- sprightly
- pestering
- artful
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- stern
- grave
- grim
- solemn
- sober
- staid
- sedate