prank

Meaning

Noun

1. A practical joke or mischievous trick.
2. (obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.

Verb

1. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
2. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
3. (slang, transitive) To call someone's phone and hang up before they answer, so as to send them a notification (of a missed call) without incurring fees.
4. (archaic, transitive) To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
5. (intransitive) To make an ostentatious show.

Synonyms

trick

joke

🤣

practical joke

jest

escapade

mischief

caper

antic

lark

freak

jape

gag

play

put-on

frivolity

frolic

fun

wisecrack

clowning

harlequinade

buffoonery

mischievous trick

horseplay

dido

teasing

japery

irregularity

mess

mischievous

mischievousness

naughtiness

ornament

overdress

perk

prim

primp

prink

privateer

rig

roguery

romp

ruse

shenanigan

strike

tease

titivate

tog

toy

trim

vagrancy

Translations

Streich

burla

Schabernack

farce

travesura

broma

🤣

beffa

🤣

travessura

plaisanterie

🤣

trote

grap

🤣

frasque

scherzo

🤣

φάρσα

streek

Pronounced as (IPA)

/pɹæŋk/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: pranken

Cognate with German: prangen

Cognate with Dutch: prangen

Cognate with Danish: pragt

Cognate with Dutch: pracht

Cognate with Swedish: prakt

Cognate with Middle Low German: prunken

Cognate with German: prunken

Cognate with Danish: prunke

In summary

Origin uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”), related to German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *pranganą, *prangijaną, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brAngh- (“to press, squeeze”). Or, perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *brahtaz, similar to Dutch pracht (“splendor”), Swedish prakt (“glory, pomp”) (loaned from Low German).
Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance, prong.