escapade
Americannoun
-
a wild or exciting adventure, esp one that is mischievous or unlawful; scrape
-
any lighthearted or carefree episode; prank; romp
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of escapade
1645–55; < French < Spanish escapada, equivalent to escap ( ar ) to escape + -ada -ade 1
Explanation
An escapade is an adventure, tinged with a hint of danger. A road trip could be an escapade, or a few weeks making a living as a professional gambler, or posing as your twin sister and taking a test for her in math. You'll notice the similarities between the words escapade and escape. Usually an escapade involves some form of escape. If you cut class and spend the day at the beach, that's an escapade. If you cut class to watch former figure-skating greats boogying to Broadway tunes on ice, that's an escapade at the Ice Capades.
Vocabulary lists containing escapade
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Boy on the Wooden Box
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Egypt Game
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Yet what was once an exotic European escapade for Britain's star footballers is now a well-trodden pilgrimage, as an increasing number of players eye opportunities further afield.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
He succeeds completely, making what could have been a ho-hum zombie movie into a wickedly funny escapade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Our titular heroine is only 13 years old when her escapade begins – a little more mature than most of the director’s protagonists, but still innocent enough not to be jaded.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
A group of killer whales have been documented blowing a sunfish to bits in an unusual underwater escapade offering never-before-seen insights into orca behaviour, according to research released Thursday.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
That was in Tennessee, when they waited to be carried away from the dangerous escapade with Ridgeway.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Ms. Barrows, who is the author of the Ivy and Bean series, depicts the siblings’ escapades with her signature gentle humor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Like Buster Keaton before him, Knoxville has an uncanny awareness of how his death-defying escapades appear on camera.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
But the tightrope coach Brendon McCullum and captain Harry Brook are walking is so precarious after England's Ashes defeat and Brook's Wellington escapades, a defeat here may have sent them tumbling to new depths.
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2026
The warhorse Wawrinka departed for a medical timeout after the third set as his Melbourne escapades caught up with him.
From Barron's ● Jan. 24, 2026
And after your photo escapades, Tyler, my home was no longer secure.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
