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.

---

practical joke British  

noun

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

---

Other Word Forms

• practical joker noun

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The five Georgia teens whose teacher died during a fatal practical joke will not be prosecuted in the educator's death, the district attorney has said.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

It took decades, but the plate came to light for what it was — a prank played on a historian by his fellow historians, a practical joke that got way out of hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2025

Was it all some kind of practical joke?

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2023

It's almost as if McCarthy was playing some kind of elaborate practical joke.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2023

I ate alone and walked back to my room in the snowy twilight, with a sour, humorless feeling as if I were the victim of a practical joke.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• prank