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

Derived 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

The enlisted men were playing a practical joke!

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Related Words

• prank