prank

[prangk]

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noun

a trick of an amusing, playful, or sometimes malicious nature.

Origin of prank

First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain

Synonyms for prank

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caper, escapade, antic, shenanigan.

prank

[prangk]

verb (used with object)

to dress or adorn in an ostentatious manner: They were all pranked out in their fanciest clothes.

verb (used without object)

to make an ostentatious show or display.

Origin of prank

1540–50; akin to Dutch pronken to show off, strut, pronk show, finery, Middle Low German prank pomp

Related formsun·pranked, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for prank

horseplay, trick, lark, antic, gag, spoof, rollick, fancy, whim, sport, rib, levity, caper, tomfoolery, frolic, play, hotfoot, lightness, shine, fooling

Examples from the Web for prank

Contemporary Examples of prank

My mother removed them patiently while Grace cackled, thrilled that her prank had been a success.
Welcome to Generation Overshare: Lena Dunham, Taylor Swift, and the Politics of Self-Disclosure
Marlow Stern
November 6, 2014
The phone call was dismissed as a prank, despite the sound of gunfire in the background.
The Israeli Way of Death
Miranda Frum
July 2, 2014
No one is questioning the urge to get up close and personal with Bradley Cooper, but this prank feels both invasive and dumb.
An Analysis of Vitalii Sediuk’s Pranks (He’s the Guy Who Touched Brad Pitt)
Amy Zimmerman
May 29, 2014
The prank itself seems meaningless, and the reaction was un-extraordinary: all in all, a dud.
An Analysis of Vitalii Sediuk’s Pranks (He’s the Guy Who Touched Brad Pitt)
Amy Zimmerman
May 29, 2014
Cooper good-naturedly laughed off the prank, before eliciting help from some other actors for speedy Sediuk removal.
An Analysis of Vitalii Sediuk’s Pranks (He’s the Guy Who Touched Brad Pitt)
Amy Zimmerman
May 29, 2014

Historical Examples of prank

Having retired to his own house, he often played off many a prank.
The Memoirs of Louis XIV., His Court and The Regency, Complete
Duc de Saint-Simon
In earliest youth he had been a merry prank; he was still a prank, but not often merry.
A Great Man
Arnold Bennett
She smiled at him glowingly, thinking she had caught him at a prank.
Life Sentence
James McConnell
Whether divine or of what origin I will not have judged by that night's prank of mine.
Simon Dale
Anthony Hope
It might be a prank—or something like that—but it would n't be wrong.
The Cross-Cut
Courtney Ryley Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for prank

prank

noun

a mischievous trick or joke, esp one in which something is done rather than said

Derived Formsprankish, adjective

Word Origin for prank

C16: of unknown origin

prank

verb

(tr) to dress or decorate showily or gaudily
(intr) to make an ostentatious display

Word Origin for prank

C16: from Middle Dutch pronken; related to German Prunk splendour, prangen to be in full splendour

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for prank

"a ludicrous trick" [Johnson], 1520s, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to obsolete verb prank "decorate, dress up" (mid-15c.), related to Middle Low German prank "display" (cf. also Dutch pronken, German prunken "to make a show, to strut"). The verb in the modern sense also is from 1520s. Related: Pranked; pranking.