prank
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr) to dress or decorate showily or gaudily
-
(intr) to make an ostentatious display
noun
Usage
What is a prank call? A prank call or crank call is when a person calls someone up to make a joke or play a trick on them. Teenagers may make prank calls to random people while comedians may use them to dupe political figures. Though meant to be humorous and playful, they can have serious consequences.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prank1
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain
Origin of prank2
1540–50; akin to Dutch pronken to show off, strut, pronk show, finery, Middle Low German prank pomp
Explanation
Pretending to be someone else on the phone or putting a whoopee cushion on someone's chair are two very old types of a prank, or practical joke, played at someone else's expense. There are many kinds of pranks in the world. If you called a friend and said you were the police, that would be a prank phone call. Some pranks can be mean and even dangerous, while others are silly. Some people prank their friends, while others prank people they dislike. Some people never outgrow the need to pull a good prank. A less common meaning of prank is to dress up in a showy or silly way.
Vocabulary lists containing prank
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus
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Comedy Lingo
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His latest attempt is with his “Jackass Forever” co-star Eric Andre and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe on their new series, “The Prank Panel,” which premieres Sunday on ABC.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 6, 2023
In a sketch called “Viral Apology Video,” cast member Kyle Mooney posed as a fake YouTuber named Markey Monroe, with Kaluuya standing in as JP, a member of the Prank Posse.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2021
In this new Netflix original series set in 1900, Curt Prank, an ambitious and mysterious newcomer, arrives in Munich with one goal: build a beer tent for Oktoberfest to seat 6,000.
From Salon • Oct. 3, 2020
Where fear meets funny, Prank Encounters is the most elaborate hidden camera prank show ever devised.
From The Verge • Sep. 24, 2019
"The great cog Saduleon is berthed at the end of the quay, and the galleys Summer Sun and Joso’s Prank are anchored beyond the breakwater."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
