Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Of or relating to elves.
  • adjective Prankish; mischievous.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Of or pertaining to elves or to elf-land; of the nature of an elf; caused by or characteristic of elves; peevish; spiteful: as, an elfish being; elfish mischief.
  • Distracted or bewitched by elves; distraught or abstracted, as if bewitched.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Of or relating to the elves; elflike; implike; weird; scarcely human; mischievous, as though caused by elves.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Characteristic of an elf
  • adjective mischievous

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective usually good-naturedly mischievous

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Saunders took it as a compliment; and, indeed, it was done with a kind of elfish grace, which cast a glamour over his eyes.

    The Lilac Sunbonnet 1887

  • For "elfish" means bewitched by the elves, and hence vacant or absent in demeanour.

    Chaucer Adolphus William Ward 1880

  • Mitch Daniels is a short, bald, kind of elfish looking man.

    mamaVISION 2009

  • But there's a kind of elfish contestant who always does well despite the possibility of vanishing in a cloud of unicorn glitter were he to sing something arousing.

    Vail Daily - Top Stories 2008

  • But there's a kind of elfish contestant who always does well despite the possibility of vanishing in a cloud of unicorn glitter were he to sing something arousing.

    seMissourian.com Headlines 2008

  • “I have come to clap you!” he exulted, his elfish frame standing barely higher than the podium.

    The African in Him 2009

  • As I got out of the van, the elfish old fellow whom I now realized was not there to pump my gas, asked if I was headed east.

    The Ballad Of Sideshow Sam & The Heckler sean m. poole 2011

  • Their Chipmunk-cute characterizations are exceptionally well done: Malone's elfish Suzy, Jackson's hard-nosed Betty Jean, Cotton's geeky Missy, and Taylor's smoldering, snooty Cindy Lou.

    James Scarborough: Winter Wonderettes: Musical Theatre West James Scarborough 2011

  • In addition to these — and they were all on deck, chattering and piping in queer, almost elfish, falsetto voices — were the two white men, Captain

    CHAPTER II 2010

  • “I have come to clap you!” he exulted, his elfish frame standing barely higher than the podium.

    The African in Him 2009

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