escapade

noun

es·​ca·​pade ˈe-skə-ˌpād 

: a usually adventurous action that runs counter to approved or conventional conduct

Did you know?

When it was first used in English, escapade referred to an act of escaping or fleeing from confinement or restraint. The relationship between escape and escapade does not end there. Both words derive from the Vulgar Latin verb excappare, meaning "to escape," a product of the Latin prefix ex- and the Late Latin noun cappa, meaning "head covering or cloak." While escape took its route through Anglo-French and Middle English, however, escapade made its way into English by way of the Spanish escapar ("to escape") and the French escapade.

Synonyms

• antic
• caper
• capriccio
• dido
• frolic
• gag
• jest
• knavery
• monkeyshine(s)
• practical joke
• prank
• rag [chiefly British]
• roguery
• shavie [Scottish]
• shine(s)
• trick
• waggery

Examples of escapade in a Sentence

As a teenager he embarked on a series of ill-advised escapades.

their escapades at the prep school became the stuff of boarding-school legend

Recent Examples on the Web

Through their online escapades, tweens have come across products like Drunk Elephant’s polypeptide cream and The Ordinary’s squalane serum that contain skin-firming retinol meant for older, wrinkle-fearing adults. —Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 29 June 2024

But where did Gru and his Minions’ villainous escapades begin? —Rendy Jones, EW.com, 29 June 2024

His romantic escapades lead him to an unconventional erectile dysfunction doctor and an experimental drug. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 24 June 2024

These six rivers are perfect for any rafting escapade. —Catherine Garcia, theweek, 18 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, action of escaping, from Spanish escapada, from escapar to escape, from Vulgar Latin *excappare

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

escapade

noun

es·​ca·​pade ˈes-kə-ˌpād 

: a mischievous adventure