as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
told the prankish lad that someone would eventually get hurt if he kept it up
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prankish
And within the prankish world created by the production, not everyone was in on the joke.
—
David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The tone of the music is dark and hellish mixed with silly and prankish.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2024
David Renard, New York Times, 1 May 2025
Fuchs put a prankish spin on the descending octaves that tootle above the reprise of the symphony’s solemn opening.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
While Gandhi begins his pursuit with a largely prankish approach, his film (and the gimmick anchoring it) surprisingly illuminates what some people gain from becoming part of a communal family.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 31 July 2024
The movie alternates between prankish laughs and visual poetry.
—Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2024
The tone of the music is dark and hellish mixed with silly and prankish.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prankish
Adjective
-
The trio portrayed three of the Weasley children in the magical films, with James and Oliver starring as mischievous twins Fred and George and Bonnie as their youngest sibling, Ginny.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Orsoni has salt-and-pepper hair and an exaggerated, slightly mischievous energy.—
Aislyn Greene,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Misiorowski had made Edman look foolish in their first matchup, getting the infielder to swing through a wicked curveball.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Puma sneakers bring a sleek, sporty vibe with metallic silver accents, while the Lucky Step sneakers add playful texture with mesh detailing.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, Golden State was feeling so confident that their television network decided to take a playful jab at Lakers superstar LeBron James.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prankish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prankish. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share