practical joke

American  

noun

1. a playful trick, often involving some physical agent or means, in which the victim is placed in an embarrassing or disadvantageous position.

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practical joke British  

noun

1. a prank or trick usually intended to make the victim appear foolish

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Other Word Forms

• practical joker noun

Etymology

Origin of practical joke

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Needless to say, the entire episode - which sounds like a youthful practical joke gone wrong, but took place when the candidate was 60 - is odd.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2024

The con job was, he thinks, “no more than a practical joke, really. Good clean sport.”

From New York Times • Apr. 8, 2024

Was it all some kind of practical joke?

From Slate • Mar. 16, 2023

It's almost as if McCarthy was playing some kind of elaborate practical joke.

From Salon • Feb. 22, 2023

Maybe this was a practical joke on a big scale.

From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd

Related Words

• prank