practical joke

American  

noun

• practical jokes
  plural

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

---

practical joke British  

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• practical joker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• practical jokes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

practical joke

“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

"It's more likely a practical joke or someone attempting to create a smear campaign," he explained.

From BBC ● May 1, 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