Phrase guide

practical joke

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A playful trick done for amusement to the detriment of someone else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The class put a whoopee cushion on the teacher's chair as a practical joke.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: antic, joke, prank, trick, caper, put-on

Narrower terms: April fool, hotfoot, rag, snipe hunt

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

37 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 惡作劇 /恶作剧 (èzuòjù) — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Czech: kanadský žert — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Dutch: practical joke — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Esperanto: petolo — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Esperanto: ŝerco — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Finnish: jekku — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Finnish: kepponen — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Finnish: kuje — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Finnish: pila — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Finnish: käytännön pila — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • French: facétie — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • French: farce — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • French: traquenard — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • German: Streich — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: ugratás — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: csíny — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: hecc — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: rossz vicc — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: otromba tréfa — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: durva tréfa — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Hungarian: borsot tör az orra alá — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Icelandic: brek — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Ingrian: ilve — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Japanese: 悪戯 — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Korean: 짓궂은 장난 (jitgujeun jangnan) — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Macedonian: мајтап (majtap) — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Plautdietsch: Kjnifkje — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Polish: figiel — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Polish: psikus — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Portuguese: pegadinha — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Portuguese: brincadeira — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Romanian: farsă — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Russian: ро́зыгрыш (rózygryš) — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Spanish: broma pesada — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Swedish: spratt — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Swedish: skämt — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else
  • Yiddish: שפּיצל (shpitsl) — something done for amusement to the detriment of someone else