Standard Lemma guide

prink

noun · verb · 9 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpɹɪŋk/
  • [ˈphɹwɪŋk]
  • /ˈpɹiŋk/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • [ˈphɹwiŋk] ~ [ˈphɹwɪ̝ŋk] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • rhymes with -ɪŋk
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of adjusting one's dress or appearance; the act of sprucing oneself up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

to give a wink; to wink.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dialectal, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To look, gaze.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To dress finely, primp, preen, spruce up.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To strut, put on pompous airs, be pretentious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To improve; to make stylish.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To pre-drink.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, humorous

Qualifier: university slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

put on special clothes to appear particularly appealing and attractive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She never dresses up, even when she goes to the opera
  • The young girls were all fancied up for the party

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: overdress, dress up, fig out, fig up, deck up, gussy up, fancy up, trick up, deck out, trick out, attire, get up, rig out, tog up, tog out

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dress, get dressed

Narrower terms: preen, primp, plume, dress, prank, tart up, enrobe, bedizen, dizen

9

verb

Meaning 9

dress very carefully and in a finicky manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: dress, get dressed

History

Etymology

Perhaps alteration (due to primp) of prank (“to deck, adorn”), from Middle English pranken (“to trim”), or from Middle Dutch prinken (“to deck for show, parade in fine apparel”) (from pronk (“show, display”) or from Middle Low German prunken (from prank (“display”)). Cognate with Middle Dutch pronken (“to flaunt”), German Prunk (“a show, parade, splendour”), Danish and Swedish prunk.

From Middle English prinken (“to wink, signal with the eye”), from prinke, prinche (“a wink, twinkling of the eye, momentary gesture”), from Old English princ (“a wink”). More at pry.

Contraction of pre-drink.