knavery

1 a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke the sort of frat-boy knaveries that become the stuff of campus legend Synonyms antic, caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, prank, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, rag [chiefly British], roguery, shavie [Scottish], shine(s), trick, waggeryRelated Words skylarking; adventure, experience, game, lark, time; high jinks (also hijinks), horseplay, play, roughhousing, rowdyism; shenanigan(s), tomfoolery; joking, kidding, teasing; gambit, hoax, maneuver, ploy; deed, feat, mission, performance, stunt; caprice, conceit, fancy, vagary, whim, whimsy (also whimsey); deceit, deception, delusion, fooling, fraud, hanky-panky, hoodwinking, ruse, sham, stratagem, subterfuge, trickery, wile

2 playful, reckless behavior that is not intended to cause serious harm suspects some knavery going on in the political campaign Synonyms devilishness, devilment, devilry (or deviltry), diablerie, espièglerie, hob, impishness, mischief, mischievousness, rascality, roguery, roguishness, shenanigan(s), waggery, waggishness, wickednessRelated Words diabolicalness, misbehavior, misconduct, naughtiness, troublemaking; buffoonery, friskiness, playfulness, sportiveness; chicanery, trickery; goings-on, hanky-panky, high jinks (also hijinks), monkey business, monkeying, monkeyshine(s), skylarking, tomfoolery; horseplay, roughhousing; antic, caper, dido, practical joke, trick; aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritationNear Antonyms gravitas, gravity, seriousness, solemnity, solemnness