EN

Synonyms for prank

  • noun
  • verb

Most common

practical joke gag caper antic clowning buffoonery vagary

Synonyms by meaning

Noun

1. Trick — A practical joke or mischievous trick

trick, joke, caper, practical joke, put-on informal, antic, game, gag, escapade, jest, sport, lark, frolic, gambol, curvet

2. Clowning

clowning, buffoonery, frivolity, harlequinade, japery

Other

freak, monkey-shine, hi-jinx, vagary

Verb

missed call, garnish, prink

Definitions

  1. n. 1

    A practical joke or mischievous trick.

    He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.

  2. v. 1

    To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.

Related words

Word family
pranker prankish prankster
Phrases
prank call
Is a kind of
joke

Forms

Plural
pranks → tricks, jokes, capers, put-ons…
Past participle
prankt
e.g. prankt → garnished, prinked…

Example sentences

  • gag The coffee's bitter aftertaste made me gag.
  • clowning Tom was clowning around at the party last night.
  • buffoonery The mime's buffoonery entertained passers-by.

Popularity over time

Word1850 → 2019Trend
prankrising
gagrising
caperrising
anticfalling
clowningrising

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

3 letters
gag1
4 letters
game1, joke1, jest1, lark1
5 letters
sport1, trick1, freak1, caper2, antic2, prink
6 letters
frolic2, gambol, vagary3, curvet, japery
7 letters
garnish2
8 letters
clowning2, escapade3
9 letters
frivolity4
10 letters
buffoonery
12 letters
harlequinade

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (caper2 = 2 syllables).