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

Joe Berton, the man whom Sports Illustrated photographed to depict a fictional Mets mega-prospect in an instant-classic April Fools Day story, visited Citi Field on Tuesday in recognition of the prank’s 40th anniversary. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025

Manager Emma Hayes was, at least in the moment, less impressed with the prank. —Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025

Verb

John cried foul straight away, refusing to be pranked, but Connor’s story held up. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 1 Apr. 2025

One of their most memorable cameos was tied to St. Patrick's Day when Dunham pranked them with fake security footage of a leprechaun in their home. —Francesca Gariano, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for prank

• banc
• bank
• blank
• clank
• crank
• dank
• drank
• flank
• franc
• hank
• lank
• plank

Kids Definition

prank

noun

ˈpraŋk

: a playful or mischievous act : trick

prankish

ˈpraŋ-kish

adjective

prankishness noun