prank

1 of 3

noun

ˈpraŋk 

: trick:

a

obsolete : a malicious act

b

: a mildly mischievous act

c

: a ludicrous act

prank

2 of 3

verb (1)

pranked; pranking

1

transitive : to play a trick or prank on (someone)

… you feel shock, dismay, then anger as it dawns on you that you've been pranked …

—Lucius Shepard

On the day of the ceremony, a stuntwoman pal, dressed to look like Swanson, kicked things off by pranking the audience and falling down a flight of stairs. (The crowd went from gasping to laughing once the ruse was revealed.)

—Lorenzo Benet

2

intransitive obsolete : to play tricks or pranks

prank

3 of 3

verb (2)

pranked; pranking; pranks

intransitive verb

: to show oneself off

transitive verb

: to dress or adorn gaily or showily

Synonyms

Noun

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

Examples of prank in a Sentence

Noun

He enjoys playing pranks on his friends.

as a prank, several students managed to change all the classroom clocks to different times

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Halloween may be a time for ghouls, goblins, and harmless pranks, but in the digital landscape, there’s a new trick with devastating consequences. —Lars Daniel, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

Chrissy Teigen was not expecting John Legend's reaction to her Halloween mask prank. —Marina Watts, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024

Verb

His fiancée, Suki Waterhouse, recently pranked him for Elle magazine segment by telling him over the phone that she’s been asked to host Love Is Blind. —Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2024

Andy Samberg is reliving the memories of pranking Colin Jost — wanna come with? —Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete prank to play tricks

Verb (2)

probably from Dutch pronken to strut; akin to Middle High German gebrunkel glitter of metal

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Kids Definition

prank

noun

ˈpraŋk

: a playful or mischievous act : trick

prankish

ˈpraŋ-kish

adjective

prankishness noun