pranks
Harmless trouble for laughs
Pranks are mischievous tricks played on someone, usually for amusement rather than malice: The seniors pulled pranks on the freshmen during orientation week.
A prank often involves deception or surprise—hiding someone's belongings, fake spiders, plastic wrap on the toilet.
It started as a harmless prank but got out of hand.
To prank someone is to play such a trick on them.
Mischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- high jinksBoisterous, playful behavior
- monkey businessDeceitful or frivolous conduct
- troublemakingDeliberately causing discord
naughtiness · hijinks · antics · capers · escapade · horseplay · roguery · devilry
Mouth restraint or jest
- jokeHumorous statement seeking laughter
- jestHumorous remark or act
- japeMocking trick or quip
- spoofComic exaggerated imitation
parody · comedy · slapstick · funny · hilarious · laughter · amusement · wit
Causing no injury
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
- funAmusement or pleasure
- teasingPlayful, mild ridicule
- ribbingAffectionate verbal teasing
good-natured · innocent · whimsical · frolic · lark · romp · playfulness · jovial
Frighten suddenly
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- scareCause sudden fright
- jump scareAbrupt frightening moment
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
gotcha · unexpected · sudden · jolt · fright · astonishment · reveal · reaction
shenanigans
Mischievous or deceitful behavior
- tomfooleryFoolish or silly behavior
- high jinksBoisterous, playful behavior
- monkey businessDeceitful or frivolous conduct
troublemaking · naughtiness · hijinks · antics · capers · escapade · horseplay · roguery · devilry · rascality
gag
Mouth restraint or jest
spoof · parody · comedy · slapstick · funny · hilarious · laughter · amusement · wit · punchline
harmless
Causing no injury
- lightheartedCheerful and without worry
- funAmusement or pleasure
- teasingPlayful, mild ridicule
ribbing · good-natured · innocent · whimsical · frolic · lark · romp · playfulness · jovial · spirited
startle
Frighten suddenly
- shockViolent sudden disturbance
- scareCause sudden fright
- jump scareAbrupt frightening moment
ambush · gotcha · unexpected · sudden · jolt · fright · astonishment · reveal · reaction · unsuspecting
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
scam · bamboozle · hoodwink · dupe · fool · gull · put-on · setup · sting · catfish
- humorjoke, jokes, joking, comedy, comic
- mischiefmischief, hijinks, antics, antic, shenanigans
- prankspractical jokes, trickster, jokester, mischief, gag
- rowdinessrowdiness, boisterousness, raucousness, unruliness, roughhousing
- school mischiefspitballs, note passing, passing notes, cheating, copying
- sibling rivalrybickering, fighting, arguing, teasing, tattling
pranksseriousness
Earnest, weighty demeanor
solemnity · earnestness · formalities · gravitas · sincerity
prankscourtesies
Polite social behaviors
etiquette · decorum · good manners · propriety · politeness
- prank callDeceptive phone joke
- prank callingNuisance phone harassment
- pulling pranks
- office pranksHumorous tricks at work
- prank calledMade a hoax phone call
- prank videoRecording of a trick