imp

Word family

• impish
  adjectiveB2
• impishly
  adverbC1
• impishness
  nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All four terms describe someone playfully naughty, but they differ in age range, tone, and how modern they sound. 'Imp' is the most common choice today for a young child whose mischief is cute and harmless — it carries a warm, affectionate tone and is rarely used for teenagers or adults. 'Rascal' is slightly more old-fashioned but still in use; it often implies cleverness or slyness in the mischief, and can be applied to older children or even playful adults. 'Scamp' is less common in American English but still heard in British English; it suggests a lively, cheeky child who is more energetic than sneaky. 'Little devil' is an idiomatic expression that exaggerates the naughtiness for humorous effect — it sounds more emphatic than 'imp' and is often used with a laugh. For example, you might call a toddler who emptied her toy box an 'imp', describe a teenager who tricked his friends as a 'rascal', and tell a coworker who hid your coffee mug that she's a 'little devil'.

Common collocations

Etymology

The word 'imp' comes from Old English 'impa', which meant a young shoot or branch taken from a tree for grafting. This shifted in the Middle Ages to mean a 'child of the devil' or a demonic offspring, since the image of a small shoot growing from a parent plant was used as a metaphor for a devil's child. By the 1600s, the meaning softened to refer to any mischievous child, keeping the idea of 'smallness' and 'playful trouble' while losing the evil religious sense.