practical joke

American  

noun

1. a playful trick, often involving some physical agent or means, in which the victim is placed in an embarrassing or disadvantageous position.

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practical joke British  

noun

1. a prank or trick usually intended to make the victim appear foolish

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Other Word Forms

• practical joker noun

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

“This is more of a sincere gesture, not necessarily a practical joke but I wanted to present it to him.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2025

Needless to say, the entire episode - which sounds like a youthful practical joke gone wrong, but took place when the candidate was 60 - is odd.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2024

The con job was, he thinks, “no more than a practical joke, really. Good clean sport.”

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2024

Was it all some kind of practical joke?

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2023

Put their tails down and slunk right out from under the best practical joke ever thought up by man or boy in Cold Sassy, Georgia.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Related Words

• prank