prank
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
(tr) to dress or decorate showily or gaudily
-
(intr) to make an ostentatious display
noun
Usage
What is a prank call? A prank call or crank call is when a person calls someone up to make a joke or play a trick on them. Teenagers may make prank calls to random people while comedians may use them to dupe political figures. Though meant to be humorous and playful, they can have serious consequences.
Other Word Forms
- prankish adjective
- unpranked adjective
Etymology
Origin of prank1
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain
Origin of prank2
1540–50; akin to Dutch pronken to show off, strut, pronk show, finery, Middle Low German prank pomp
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pair were arrested after a viral video showed the chair plunging to the ground from a height at Westfield in Stratford, as part of an internet prank in March last year.
From BBC
Staff told the ambulance service that it was "a prank call", however the records note she had three seizures that day and the inquest heard no staff member asked her why she was seeking help.
From BBC
Prime Video’s award-winning series returns with a new unwitting hero, who is hired as a temp at a hot sauce company — gentle, funny pranks ensue.
From Los Angeles Times
And unlike some some prank shows, its intentions are good, its attitude humane — the entire purpose of the show is to bring out the best in its unsuspecting star, not to humiliate him.
From Los Angeles Times
During the long hot afternoons, pranks and talk died down as each one sat alone with his own thoughts.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
