Adjacent Words

Prank definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRANK, v.t. To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or adjust to ostentation.
In sumptuous tire she joyed herself to prank.
It is often followed by up.
--And me, poor lowly maid,
Most goddess-like prankt up.
PRANK, n. Properly, a sudden start or sally. [See Prance.] Hence, a wild flight; a capering; a gambol.
1. A capricious action; a ludicrous or merry trick, or a mischievous act, rather for sport than injury. Children often play their pranks on each other.
--In came the harpies and played their accustomed pranks.
PRANK, a. Frolicksome; full of gambols or tricks.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: acting like a clown or buffoon [syn: buffoonery, clowning, japery, frivolity, harlequinade, prank]
2: a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement [syn: antic, joke, prank, trick, caper, put-on] v
1: dress or decorate showily or gaudily; "Roses were pranking the lawn"
2: dress up showily; "He pranked himself out in his best clothes"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: obsolete prank to play tricks Date: circa 1529 trick: a. obsolete a malicious act b. a mildly mischievous act c. a ludicrous act II. verb Etymology: probably from Dutch pronken to strut; akin to Middle High German gebrunkel glitter of metal Date: 15th century intransitive verb to show oneself off transitive verb to dress or adorn gaily or showily

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. a practical joke; a piece of mischief. Derivatives: prankful adj. prankish adj. pranksome adj. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. unkn.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prank Prank, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pranked; p. pr. & vb. n. Pranking.] [Cf. E. prink, also G. prangen, prunken, to shine, to make a show, Dan. prange, prunke, Sw. prunka, D. pronken.] To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously; -- often followed by up; as, to prank up the body. See Prink. In sumptuous tire she joyed herself to prank. --Spenser.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prank Prank, v. i. To make ostentatious show. White houses prank where once were huts. --M. Arnold.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prank Prank, n. A gay or sportive action; a ludicrous, merry, or mischievous trick; a caper; a frolic. --Spenser. The harpies . . . played their accustomed pranks. --Sir W. Raleigh. His pranks have been too broad to bear with. --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prank Prank, a. Full of gambols or tricks. [Obs.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pranks) A prank is a childish trick. (OLD-FASHIONED) N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. Caper, frolic, antic, gambol, trick. II. v. a. Bedizen, begaud, trick out. III. v. n. Make ostentation, make a gaudy show.

Moby Thesaurus

adorn, antic, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caper, caprice, color, conceit, dandify, deck, deck out, decorate, dizen, doll up, dress, dress up, embellish, emblazon, embroider, enrich, escapade, fancy, fancy up, fig out, fix up, fooling, freak, frivolity, frolic, furbish, gambol, garnish, get up, grace, gussy up, high jinks, horseplay, jape, jest, lark, levity, lightness, mischief, monkeyshine, monkeyshines, ornament, overdress, paint, play, practical joke, prank up, preen, prettify, pretty up, primp, primp up, prink, prink up, rag out, redecorate, redo, refurbish, rollick, roughhouse, rowdiness, set off, set out, shenanigans, shines, skylarking, slick up, smarten, smarten up, spiff, sport, spruce up, stunt, titivate, tomfoolery, trick, trick out, trick up, trim, vagary, waggish trick, wheeze, whim, whimsy