prank

Meanings

Plural: pranks

Noun

acting like a clown or buffoon
a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement
A practical joke or mischievous trick.
An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.

Verb

dress or decorate showily or gaudily
- "Roses were pranking the lawn"
dress up showily
- "He pranked himself out in his best clothes"
To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
To make a prank call to (someone).
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.
To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
To make an ostentatious show.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

antic, buffoonery, caper, capriccio, clowning, curvet, frivolity, gag, gambade, harlequinade, high jinks, japery, joke, lark, marlock, missed call, monkeyshine, practical joke, prank, prat, put-on, rag, reak, shenanigan, trick, windup

Scrabble Score: 11

prank is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
prank is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
prank is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

prank is a valid Words With Friends word