practical joke

American  

noun

1. a playful trick, often involving some physical agent or means, in which the victim is placed in an embarrassing or disadvantageous position.

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practical joke British  

noun

1. a prank or trick usually intended to make the victim appear foolish

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• practical joker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

It took decades, but the plate came to light for what it was — a prank played on a historian by his fellow historians, a practical joke that got way out of hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025

The exhibit was supposed to spark debate, yes, but has the spirit of a harmless practical joke, she argues.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2024

Was it all some kind of practical joke?

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2023

It's almost as if McCarthy was playing some kind of elaborate practical joke.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2023

Put their tails down and slunk right out from under the best practical joke ever thought up by man or boy in Cold Sassy, Georgia.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• prank