prankish

adjective

prank·​ish ˈpraŋ-kish How to pronounce prankish (audio)
1
: full of pranks
a prankish child
2
: having the nature of a prank
prankish acts
prankishly adverb
prankishness noun

Examples of prankish in a Sentence

told the prankish lad that someone would eventually get hurt if he kept it up
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In person, Wood is funny but sedate, speaking in a deadpan carried along by a prankish undercurrent. Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2025 Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family. Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024 The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024 The tone of the music is dark and hellish mixed with silly and prankish. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2024 Think of him on Hot 97 with a straight face, occasionally a prankish smirk, pushing a theory that Ray J is a pivotal influence on all of Black culture. Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 16 Feb. 2024 By Spencer Kornhaber January 31, 2024, 7 AM ET The comeback single for the prankish rapper Lil Nas X has flopped in the best way possible: by debuting, on the Billboard Hot 100, at No. 69. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2024 During the memorial, speeches by friends and family included little talk of Honest Abe but plenty of tributes to Mann’s wit, intelligence, prankish spirit and love of New York City. Jennifer Schuessler, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prankish was in 1776

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Cite this Entry

“Prankish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prankish. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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