prank

1 of 3

noun

: trick:
a
obsolete : a malicious act
b
: a mildly mischievous act
c
: a ludicrous act

prank

2 of 3

verb (1)

pranked; pranking
1
transitive : to play a trick or prank on (someone)
… you feel shock, dismay, then anger as it dawns on you that you've been prankedLucius Shepard
On the day of the ceremony, a stuntwoman pal, dressed to look like Swanson, kicked things off by pranking the audience and falling down a flight of stairs. (The crowd went from gasping to laughing once the ruse was revealed.)Lorenzo Benet
2
intransitive obsolete : to play tricks or pranks

prank

3 of 3

verb (2)

pranked; pranking; pranks

intransitive verb

: to show oneself off

transitive verb

: to dress or adorn gaily or showily

Examples of prank in a Sentence

Noun He enjoys playing pranks on his friends. as a prank, several students managed to change all the classroom clocks to different times
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Kylie then filmed herself running through the house, yelling at everyone inside about the prank. Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025 After provoking the ire of the college kids, Madea and her clan are subjected to a series of ghoulish pranks. Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
The revelation came after host Sean Evans fact-checked whether or not the older kids on set had pranked Bateman by informing him that his character would die. Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2025 Many of the short form videos are skits featuring cartoonish depictions of Putin, Khamenei and Kim Jong Un posing as tricksters that prank, imprison or kill Trump and Netanyahu. Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prank

Word History

Etymology

Noun

obsolete prank to play tricks

Verb (2)

probably from Dutch pronken to strut; akin to Middle High German gebrunkel glitter of metal

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1529, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of prank was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prank. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

prank

noun
ˈpraŋk
: a playful or mischievous act : trick
prankish
ˈpraŋ-kish
adjective
prankishness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on prank

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