plural tricks
1
: an action that is meant to deceive someone
It was a trick to persuade her to give him money.
That was a dirty/mean/rotten trick. [=an unkind or unfair thing to do]
2
: something done to surprise or confuse someone and to make other people laugh
He played a trick on me. [=he tricked me]
She enjoys playing tricks on her friends.
3
: a clever and skillful action that someone performs to entertain or amuse people
For his last trick, the magician made a rabbit disappear.
magic/card/circus tricks
4
: a clever and effective way of doing something
I know a good trick for removing stains from clothes.
He knows a lot of useful programming tricks.
a handy trick for remembering names
He has a lot of experience with gardening, so he should be able to show/teach us a trick or two. [=he should be able to give us good advice about gardening]
5
: something that causes confusion or that makes something seem different from what it actually is
He was so tired his mind was playing tricks on him. [=he could not think clearly]
The paint looked blue, but it was just a trick of the light. [=the light made the paint appear blue even though it was a different color]
6
: the cards that are played in one round of a card game
She has won the last three tricks.
7
US, informal
: a sex act performed by a prostitute
She was living on the street and turning tricks [=taking money for sex] to survive.
tricks; tricked; tricking
: to deceive (someone)
He tricked her by wearing a disguise.
always used before a noun
1
: using methods that are meant to deceive someone
trick photography [=photography that uses special methods to make things that are not real seem to be real]
a trick question [=a deceptive question that is intended to make you give an answer that is not correct or that causes trouble for you]
2
: done in a clever or entertaining way
a trick shot in pool
3
US
: weak and tending to fail suddenly
He has a trick knee.
Cite this Entry
“Trick.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/trick. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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