play a trick on

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Phrasal Verb: - To deceive someone, often in a lighthearted or mischievous way, as part of a joke or prank.

Usage

This phrasal verb is used to describe the action of tricking or fooling someone. It is separable; the object (the person being tricked) can come between "play" and "a trick on" (e.g., play someone a trick on) but the more common and natural structure is "play a trick on someone." It implies a temporary, often humorous deception, not a malicious or serious fraud.

Examples
  • The children decided to play a trick on their camp counselor by hiding his shoes.
  • I think my colleagues are trying to play a trick on me for April Fools' Day.
  • He played a trick on his sister by pretending he had lost her keys.
Advanced Usage
  • To play a trick on someone's mind: This extended usage refers to causing someone to doubt their own perception or memory, often in a psychological context.
    • The optical illusion really played a trick on my mind.
Variants and Related Words
  • Play tricks: (verb phrase) To behave in a deceptive or elusive manner. Often used about abstract things like memory, eyes, or light.
    • The fog played tricks with our vision.
  • Trick (verb/noun): The core action or instance of deceiving.
  • Prank (noun): A practical joke or mischievous act, which is what is performed when you "play a trick."
Synonyms
  • Pull someone's leg: To tease someone by telling them something untrue.
  • Prank someone: To perform a practical joke on someone.
  • Hoodwink: To deceive or trick (more formal).
  • Bamboozle: To confuse or fool someone (informal).
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Play along (with): To pretend to agree with or believe something, often a trick or deception.
    • She decided to play along with the trick to see how far it would go.
  • Play for a fool: To treat someone as if they are stupid, often by deceiving them.
    • He felt they were playing him for a fool with their constant pranks.
Related Idioms
  • Trick someone into (doing something): To deceive someone so that they do a particular thing.
    • They tricked me into believing the story. (This is a close synonym, focusing on the result of the deception.)
  • Make a fool of someone: To trick someone, causing them to look silly or foolish.
    • The elaborate scheme was designed to make a fool of the arrogant king.
Verb
  1. deceive somebody
    • We tricked the teacher into thinking that class would be cancelled next week

Từ đồng nghĩa