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April fool

American

noun

the victim of a practical joke or trick on April Fools' Day.
a practical joke or trick played on that day.

April fool British

noun

an unsuspecting victim of a practical joke or trick traditionally performed on the first of April ( April Fools' Day or All Fools' Day )

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of April fool

First recorded in 1680–90

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.

A Vale of Glamorgan council spokesman said: "I think it was an April fool."

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2024

I pity the April fool who doesn’t try this week’s Slate News Quiz.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2022

On the one hand, could this be an early Google April fool?

From Forbes • Sep. 19, 2013

It turned out to be their April fool joke.

From The Guardian • Mar. 29, 2011

We used to say on the occasion of having entrapped any one— Fool, fool, April fool, You learn nought by going to school!

From Popular Rhymes and Nursery Tales A Sequel to the Nursery Rhymes of England by Halliwell-Phillipps, J. O. (James Orchard)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023