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.

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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

Derived Forms

• practical joker
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• practical jokes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Jason Hughes, 40, came out of his home to surprise the students who were tossing toilet papers over trees as part of a practical joke.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026

“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

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

I stared at Annabeth, figuring she’d crack up at this practical joke they were playing on me, but she looked deadly serious.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• prank