as in mischievous
tending to or exhibiting reckless playfulness
told the prankish lad that someone would eventually get hurt if he kept it up
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Recent Examples of prankish
Angela Balogh Calin’s costumes prepare the way for Ionesco’s prankish jokes.
—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Caltech is a sort of nerd Valhalla, where brilliant and creative youngsters study and engage in prankish mischief.
—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
Still, at its best, Needle Guy applies Brady’s prankish energy to unsettling inversions of his inspirations.
—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
And then there’s Whitehead’s own work: erudite, prankish, experimental in a literal sense—the act of listening is sometimes the experiment.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Caltech is a sort of nerd Valhalla, where brilliant and creative youngsters study and engage in prankish mischief.
—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
26 Apr. 2026
Still, at its best, Needle Guy applies Brady’s prankish energy to unsettling inversions of his inspirations.
—
Colin Joyce,
Pitchfork,
25 Mar. 2026
And then there’s Whitehead’s own work: erudite, prankish, experimental in a literal sense—the act of listening is sometimes the experiment.
—
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prankish
Adjective
-
In House of the Dragon’s season 2 premiere, Aegon II brought him to a meeting where Jaehaerys II was mischievous and bored.
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The show features a wide cast of colorful characters, namely Ginger’s mother Lois (Laraine Newman), her quirky friends Dodie (Aspen Vincent) and Macie (Jackie Harris Greenberg), and her mischievous little brother Carl (Jeannie Elias).
Adjective
-
But even the most perfect Constitution can be undone by the wicked with the help of the bought, the stupid, and the cowardly.
-
Because my gut feeling tells me another round of wicked winds this way comes.
Adjective
-
The high-quality dress can be worn all summer long, in playful hues like white and green.
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Beaded sandals, in particular, strike a balance between statement-making and approachable, offering the same playful energy as the season’s beaded jewelry and bags without requiring a complete wardrobe overhaul.
Cite this Entry
“Prankish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prankish. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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