Prank Once Meant a Wicked Deed
A prank is a playful trick. The word was darker when it entered English, and only later softened into fun.
A prank is a playful trick played on someone. It began far less kindly: in the 1500s a prank was a malicious or wicked act, and only later drifted towards harmless fun. That softening is a common path — *nice* once meant ignorant, *silly* once meant blessed — but few words travel from wicked deed to birthday joke. A separate old verb *prank* means to dress up showily, surviving in the adjective *prankish* and in *prink*.
- A playful trick. *An April prank.*
- To trick someone. *He pranked his brother.*
- Prankster — one who plays pranks. *A prankster.*
- Prankish — mischievous. *A prankish grin.*
- Older sense — a wicked act. *Wicked pranks.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | prank | A prank. |
| Plural | pranks | Pranks. |
| Verb | prank | Pranked. |
| Agent | prankster | A prankster. |
| Adjective | prankish | Prankish. |
- It was only a harmless prank.Modern.
- In 1550 a prank was a wicked deed.History.
- The prankster was caught.Agent.
Words that grew gentler
- Prank — from wicked deed to harmless joke
- Nice — from ignorant, through precise, to pleasant
- Silly — from blessed, through innocent, to foolish
- Naughty — from having nothing, through wicked, to mildly bad
- Mischief — once meant real misfortune
Of uncertain origin, first recorded in the 1520s meaning a wicked deed; possibly related to a Germanic word for a quick movement.
Did prank always mean a joke?
No. In the 1500s a prank was a malicious act. The playful sense developed later.
What is the other verb prank?
An old word meaning to dress showily. It survives in prink and in the adjective prankish.