Word
prankster
US/ˈpɹæŋkstɝ/
UK/pɹˈæŋkstɐ/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who likes to play tricks or practical jokes on other people. They usually do this to be funny or to see how people react.
n. a person who habitually performs practical jokes or mischievous tricks. Often carries a connotation of harmless but disruptive behaviour.
Examples
“The school prankster put a fake spider on the teacher's chair.”
“Security guards eventually caught the prankster who had been putting soap bubbles in the city fountain every Friday night.”
“While some viewed the anonymous prankster as a harmless source of office entertainment, others found the constant disruption to their workflow increasingly unprofessional and tiresome.”
Examples
simple
“The school prankster put a fake spider on the teacher's chair.”
contextual
“Security guards eventually caught the prankster who had been putting soap bubbles in the city fountain every Friday night.”
complex
“While some viewed the anonymous prankster as a harmless source of office entertainment, others found the constant disruption to their workflow increasingly unprofessional and tiresome.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “prankster” in context.
Verb
01. expose prankster
“A security camera helped expose the prankster who had been dyeing the fountain blue.”
verb + noun
02. outwit prankster
“The teacher managed to outwit the prankster by anticipating his next move.”
verb + noun
03. prankster strikes
“Residents are on high alert after the anonymous prankster struck again last night.”
noun + verb
04. prankster targets
“The prankster usually targets unsuspecting tourists in the city center.”
noun + verb
05. punish prankster
“The school decided to punish the prankster with a week of detention.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. harmless prankster
“Most people viewed him as a harmless prankster rather than a troublemaker.”
adj + noun
07. inveterate prankster
“As an inveterate prankster, he could never resist a chance to trick his colleagues.”
adj + noun
08. notorious prankster
“The notorious prankster was finally caught after his latest stunt at the library.”
adj + noun
Noun
09. identity of prankster
“The true identity of the prankster remains a mystery to this day.”
noun + prep + noun
10. a self-proclaimed prankster
“The YouTuber describes himself as a self-proclaimed prankster and social experimenter.”
11. apprehend the masked prankster
“Police were unable to apprehend the masked prankster before he fled the scene.”
12. laugh at the prankster
“It is often better to laugh at the prankster than to get angry.”
Real-World Examples
“BERLIN (AP) — Russian pranksters impersonating Ukraine's former President Petro Poroshenko successfully reached Angela Merkel via telephone to discuss recent events in Ukraine and Belarus, although the ex-German chancellor seemed cautious during the exchange.” “A week on, Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus claimed credit for hoax-calling the Polish president, prompting his office to respond on social media.” “The undeniable highlight of Theresa May's speech at the party conference yesterday was not her persistent cough or the tumbling sign letters, but rather the antics of prankster Lee Nelson.” “Evans built his reputation as a witty prankster on the BBC's now-defunct London radio station GLR, where he started as a producer and ended up as a star DJ.” Etymology
Derived from prank + -ster.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/prankster