Meaning & use
jape
A practical joke or piece of playful mischief done to amuse oneself or others.
See it in a sentence
The twins planned a harmless jape, hiding their brother's shoes around the house.
It was meant as a jape, but the fake spider sent his sister screaming from the room.
A note on using this word
Jape is old-fashioned and now mostly used in a lighthearted or humorous tone rather than everyday speech.
Words with a similar meaning
prankpractical joke
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. verb
To play a joke or trick on someone in a good-humored way.
He liked to jape at his coworkers by swapping their labeled coffee mugs.
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