trick
a crafty or underhanded device, maneuver, stratagem, or the like, intended to deceive or cheat; artifice; ruse; wile.
an optical illusion: It must have been some visual trick caused by the flickering candlelight.
a roguish or mischievous act; practical joke; prank: She likes to play tricks on her friends.
a mean, foolish, or childish action.
a clever or ingenious device or expedient; adroit technique: the tricks of the trade.
the art or knack of doing something skillfully: You seem to have mastered the trick of making others laugh.
a clever or dexterous feat intended to entertain, amuse, etc.: He taught his dog some amazing tricks.
a feat of magic or legerdemain: card tricks.
a behavioral peculiarity; trait; habit; mannerism.
a period of duty or turn; stint; tour of duty: I relieved the pilot after he had completed his trick at the wheel.
Cards.
the group or set of cards played and won in one round.
a point or scoring unit.
a card that is a potential winner.: Compare honor trick.
Informal. a child or young girl: a pretty little trick.
Slang.
a prostitute's customer.
a sexual act between a prostitute and a customer.
Heraldry.
a preliminary sketch of a coat of arms.
of, pertaining to, characterized by, or involving tricks: trick shooting.
designed or used for tricks: a trick chair.
(of a joint) inclined to stiffen or weaken suddenly and unexpectedly: a trick shoulder.
to deceive by trickery.
Heraldry. to indicate the tinctures of (a coat of arms) with engravers tricks.
to cheat or swindle (usually followed by out of): to trick someone out of an inheritance.
to beguile by trickery (usually followed by into).
to practice trickery or deception; cheat.
to play tricks; trifle (usually followed by with).
Slang. to engage in sexual acts for hire.
trick out, Informal. to embellish or adorn with or as if with ornaments or other attention-getting devices.
Idioms about trick
do / turn the trick, to achieve the desired effect or result: Another turn of the pliers should do the trick.
turn a trick, Slang. (of a prostitute) to engage in a sexual act with a customer.
Origin of trick
1synonym study For trick
Other words for trick
Other words from trick
- tricker, noun
- trick·ing·ly, adverb
- outtrick, verb (used with object)
- un·tricked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use trick in a sentence
Another trick to make your content go viral is to create a sense of urgency by putting a time limit on the product or service you’re trying to sell.
Harness the power of integrated CRO and social media | Ricky Wang | November 17, 2020 | Search Engine WatchAnother way to trick the quarterback is to play split field coverages, with one type on one side of the field and another on the other side.
In effective pass coverage, what you see isn’t always what you get | Richard Johnson | November 11, 2020 | Washington PostRahm’s successful trick shot was majestic, masterful and mesmerizing.
Jon Rahm’s pond-skipping hole-in-one at Augusta has been done before but was still incredible | Des Bieler | November 11, 2020 | Washington PostWhen you’re on the ground and engaged, they’re not going to be able to pull those kinds of political tricks on you.
Democrats lose ground with Latino voters in Florida and Texas, underscoring outreach missteps | Jose Del Real, Arelis Hernández | November 5, 2020 | Washington PostFalling back on childlike charm is not a new trick for Disney, which owns the Star Wars franchise.
What Makes Baby Yoda So Lovable? - Facts So Romantic | Morgan K. Hoke & Douglas K. Smit | November 4, 2020 | Nautilus
Michelangelo tricked his patron about the David, but sometimes he was forcibly reminded who paid the bills.
He tricked Beth into killing an innocent man for him in order to keep his own position at the hospital secure.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Crossed’: The Stage Is Now Set for a Bloody, Deadly Midseason Finale | Melissa Leon | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSam Lutfi may have tricked Amanda Bynes into hospitalization.
Sam Lutfi Is Young Hollywood’s Most Infamous Svengali | Amy Zimmerman | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey apologized for making the video, and said they had been tricked into doing it.
Iran Court Sentences ‘Happy’ Dancers to 6 months and 91 Lashes | IranWire | September 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTA group of bullies tricked an autistic boy into doing the popular Ice Bucket Challenge—only the bucket was full of human waste.
Ice Bucket Challenge Bullies Messed with the Wrong Internet | Elizabeth Heideman | September 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThey were always too pretty, tricked out too finely, useless—those toys that are for show but which the Parisian does not buy.
The Nabob | Alphonse DaudetHe was furious moreover at having been tricked, and meditated bedlamite plans of vengeance.
Overland | John William De ForestI need hardly say that Count Wodzinski's description is novelistically tricked out.
Frederick Chopin as a Man and Musician | Frederick NiecksThe thought that he had been easily but cleverly tricked made his blood boil within him.
Uncle Sam's Boys as Lieutenants | H. Irving HancockMy strong nature, my ideas, would work like poison in you; twice you have tricked me, twice have I overthrown you.
Z. Marcas | Honore de Balzac
British Dictionary definitions for trick
/ (trɪk) /
a deceitful, cunning, or underhand action or plan
a mischievous, malicious, or humorous action or plan; joke: the boys are up to their tricks again
(as modifier): a trick spider
an illusory or magical feat or device
a simple feat learned by an animal or person
an adroit or ingenious device; knack: a trick of the trade
a behavioural trait, habit, or mannerism
a turn or round of duty or work
cards
a batch of cards containing one from each player, usually played in turn and won by the player or side that plays the card with the highest value
a card that can potentially win a trick
can't take a trick Australian slang to be consistently unsuccessful or unlucky
do the trick informal to produce the right or desired result
how's tricks? slang how are you?
turn a trick slang (of a prostitute) to gain a customer
to defraud, deceive, or cheat (someone), esp by means of a trick
Origin of trick
1Derived forms of trick
- tricker, noun
- trickless, adjective
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with trick
In addition to the idioms beginning with trick
- trick or treat
- trick out
- tricks of the trade
also see:
- bag of tricks
- confidence game (trick)
- dirty tricks
- do the trick
- hat trick
- how's tricks
- not miss a trick
- teach an old dog new tricks
- that does it (the trick)
- turn a trick
- up to one's old tricks
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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