different between romp vs prank

English

Etymology

Probably a variant of ramp.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?mp

Verb

romp (third-person singular simple present romps, present participle romping, simple past and past participle romped)

1. (intransitive) To play about roughly, energetically or boisterously.
   • When the kids're allowed to romp in the bedroom, they break something.
2. (transitive, US) (Often used with down) To press forcefully, to encourage vehemently, to oppress.
   • If I romp down on the gas, it'll do sixty in six seconds.
   • Coach Smith had to romp on 'em to get 'em out of a losing streak.
3. To win easily.
   • England romped to an easy win over Australia.
   • 2014, Paul Doyle, "Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian, 18 October 2014:

     Ronald Koeman collected that prize in the run-up to this game, and then watched his team romp to their biggest victory for nearly a century, inflicting a defeat that Sunderland will struggle to forget.

4. (slang) To engage in playful or boisterous sex.

Translations

Noun

romp (plural romps)

1. (now archaic) Someone who romps; especially, a girl or young woman who indulges in boisterous play; a tomboy. [from 17th c.]
   • 1792, Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Penguin 2004, p. 57:

     I will venture to affirm, that a girl, whose spirits have not been damped by inactivity, or innocence tainted by false shame, will always be a romp, and the doll will never excite attention unless confinement allows her no alternative.

2. A period of boisterous play, a frolic; now especially, a bout of sexual activity, especially when illicit. [from 18th c.]
   • Sex romp at Windsor castle (headline in The Sun)
3. An enjoyable, fast-paced but essentially inconsequential film, play, or other piece of entertainment. [from 19th c.]
4. (chiefly sports) A decisive victory; a game, match etc. which is won easily. [from 20th c.]

Derived terms

Related terms

• rumpus

Translations

Anagrams

• PROM, Prom, prom

Afrikaans

Noun

romp (plural rompe)

1. skirt

Catalan

Verb

romp

1. third-person singular present indicative form of rompre
2. second-person singular imperative form of rompre

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -?mp

Noun

romp m (plural rompen, diminutive rompje n)

1. trunk, torso
2. (ship) hull

English

Etymology

From Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”). Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Connected also with German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *prangan?, *prangijan?, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brAngh- (“to press, squeeze”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance, prong.

Pronunciation

• enPR: pr?ngk, IPA^(key): /p?æ?k/
• Rhymes: -æ?k

Noun

prank (plural pranks)

1. A practical joke or mischievous trick.

   He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.

   • The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.

2. (obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:joke

Derived terms

• prankish
• pranksome
• prankster
• pranky

Translations

Verb

prank (third-person singular simple present pranks, present participle pranking, simple past pranked, past participle pranked or (archaic) prankt)

1. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick.
2. (transitive, slang) To call someone's phone and promptly hang up

   Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.

   I don't have your number in my phone; can you prank me?

3. (transitive) To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, B:II

     And there a Sea?on atween June and May,

     Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,

     A li?tle?s Climate made, where, Sooth to ?ay,

     No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.

   • 1880 Dante Gabriel Rosetti, For Spring, by Sandro Botticelli, lines 2–3

     Flora, wanton-eyed

     For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:

4. (intransitive) To make ostentatious show.
   • 1867, Matthew Arnold, "Obermann Once More", in New Poems

     White houses prank where once were huts.

Synonyms

(call and promptly hang up): missed call, missed-call

Translations

Adjective

prank

1. (obsolete) Full of gambols or tricks.

Danish

Noun

prank

1. prank
   • 2016, Klaus Rifbjerg, Falsk forår, Gyldendal A/S (?ISBN)

     Hvad hun tillod sig nu var altså en prank, en joke, noget, der havde med overskud at gøre og slet ikke kunne bringes under de rubrikker, hun lå og forestillede sig.

   • 2014, Nick Clausen, Kanel, klejner og julekaos, Tellerup A/S (?ISBN)

     Bare fordi det er min tur til at finde på en prank gider du ikke gøre dig umage .

   • 2016, Lasse Henriksen, Pil Ingerslev, Benny 1's normale guide til det paranormale, Art People (?ISBN)

     Pranken fik sit eget liv, ...