prank

/præɳk/
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prank

A child pulls a harmless prank by placing a whoopee cushion on a chair.

Definition

Noun: 1. A playful, mischievous, or mildly malicious trick or practical joke, intended to amuse or surprise someone, often at their expense. 2. (Archaic) A playful or frolicsome act; a capricious or whimsical deed.

Verb: 1. To dress or decorate (someone or something) in a showy, gaudy, or ostentatious manner. 2. (Archaic) To play a trick on someone; to engage in pranks.

Usage and Examples

Noun: * The students filled the teacher's office with balloons as a harmless prank. * He is known for his clever pranks, which always make people laugh. * Playing a prank on April Fools' Day is a common tradition.

Verb (meaning: to dress showily): * (This usage is now rare) She pranked herself out in all her finest jewelry for the ball.

Advanced Usage and Nuances
  • The noun "prank" typically implies a sense of humor and mischief. While it can cause temporary annoyance or surprise, a true prank is not intended to cause serious harm, distress, or property damage. Actions that cross this line are more accurately described as "vandalism," "harassment," or "bullying."
  • The verbal sense meaning "to play a trick" is largely obsolete in modern English. The modern verb form related to the noun is "to prank" (someone), though it is less common than using the noun in a phrase like "to play a prank on."
Variants and Related Words
  • Prankster (noun): A person who plays pranks.
    • The anonymous prankster put googly eyes on all the statues in the park.
  • Pranky (adjective): Characterized by or inclined to play pranks.
    • He was in a pranky mood all day.
Synonyms
  • Noun: Practical joke, trick, caper, antic, jape, mischief, shenanigan, hoax.
  • Verb (to decorate): Adorn, deck out, embellish, festoon.
Related Phrases and Phrasal Verbs
  • To play a prank on (someone): The most common construction for describing the action.
    • They decided to play a prank on their roommate by hiding his alarm clock.
  • To pull a prank: An alternative phrasing to "play a prank."
    • The comedian is famous for pulling elaborate pranks on live television.
Idioms and Collocations
  • Harmless prank: Emphasizes that the trick was not meant to hurt anyone.
    • It was just a harmless prank, so no one got angry.
  • Elaborate/prank: A prank that requires complex planning and setup.
    • The video showed an elaborate prank involving a fake spider and a lot of screaming.
prank

A child pulls a harmless prank by placing a whoopee cushion on a chair.

Noun
  1. a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
  2. acting like a clown or buffoon
Verb
  1. dress up showily
    • He pranked himself out in his best clothes
  2. dress or decorate showily or gaudily
    • Roses were pranking the lawn

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