escapade
Americannoun
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a wild or exciting adventure, esp one that is mischievous or unlawful; scrape
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any lighthearted or carefree episode; prank; romp
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
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The Boy on the Wooden Box
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The Egypt Game
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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.
“NG-2 builds on that with our primary goal to get Escapade safely to orbit and land the booster.”
From MarketWatch • Nov. 7, 2025
Escapade co-creator Charlie Jane Anders told Marvel in a recent interview that Shela, who can switch bodies and locations with other people, is a “cool weirdo” and has a “profound loyalty to her friends.”
From Washington Times • May 20, 2022
In 2018, Timberlake appeared on the podcast "Beats 1," where he discussed having several conversations with the "Escapade" singer, 53, since the incident.
From Fox News • Dec. 10, 2019
For the Zappos Downtown Escapade Tour Experience, held on Friday mornings, our group gathered in the lobby, near a man in a porkpie hat shining shoes.
From Washington Post • Jan. 19, 2017
And if I might venture to rename The Business of a Gentleman the title I should choose is "The Escapade of an Egoist."
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 146, March 11, 1914 by Seaman, Owen, Sir
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.
