いたずらっこ

いたずらっこ
noun
mischievous child; little imp
1. mischievous child; little imp; prankster kid
a child who is playfully naughty or fond of playing tricks, used affectionately regardless of gender
あの子(こ)はいたずらっこだ。
That child is a little imp.
いたずらっこの笑顔(えがお)には怒(おこ)れない。
You can't get angry at a mischievous child's smile.
幼稚園(ようちえん)のいたずらっこたちが先生(せんせい)のイスに画鋲(がびょう)を置(お)いて叱(しか)られた。
The mischievous kids at kindergarten were scolded for putting a thumbtack on the teacher's chair.

A colloquial compound of いたずら (mischief, prank) and っこ (child, a casual diminutive suffix from 子(こ)). Can be written in kanji as 悪戯(いたずら)っ子(こ). The term is affectionate and usually describes harmless childish naughtiness rather than truly bad behavior.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • いたずらっこな目(め): mischievous eyes
  • いたずらっこの笑顔(えがお): a mischievous smile
  • いたずらっこぶり: mischievous behavior

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • いたずら: mischief, prank — the base word
  • やんちゃ坊主(ぼうず): naughty boy — specifically for boys, emphasizes rowdiness
  • わんぱく小僧(こぞう): rowdy boy — emphasizes rough, unruly behavior
  • 悪(わる)ガキ: bad kid — stronger and more negative than いたずらっこ
general
Added 2026.4.22 23:46
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