practical joke

noun

: a prank intended to trick or embarrass someone or cause physical discomfort

practical joker noun

Synonyms

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

Examples of practical joke in a Sentence

One of the children filled the sugar bowl with salt as a practical joke.

friends had left the risqué message on his voice mail as a practical joke

Recent Examples on the Web

And while there is a possibility of some severe storms in the state, there could be a chance that Mother Nature is pulling a practical joke. —Joyce Orlando, The Tennessean, 29 Mar. 2024

His favorite thing to do was to pull practical jokes on our manager, Blake. —Michael Barnes, Austin American-Statesman, 19 July 2024

Baseball players are notorious for playing practical jokes on one another. —Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2024

His latest film is a feature-length practical joke that centers around a false origin story for a 42-year-old song whose relevance only fades with each passing year. —Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

practical joke

noun

: a joke involving something that is done rather than said

especially : a trick played on a person

practical joker noun