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April fool

American  

noun

  1. the victim of a practical joke or trick on April Fools' Day.

  2. a practical joke or trick played on that day.

April fool British  

noun

  1. 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.

This was followed by two smiley faces and a later post saying "April fool ma brother ohh".

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2025

So, anyway, the April fool, and prepare your laughing gear for this one: Bieber posts a photo of a sonogram suggesting the couple are expecting.

From The Guardian • Apr. 4, 2019

That taught me not to April fool my mother again.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2018

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

From Forbes • Sep. 19, 2013

Not so much of an April fool, after all, I begin to think.

From The Last Penny and Other Stories by Croome, William

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.