trick
(verb, noun)
past tense: tricked
LISTEN
A magic trick.
If you trick someone, it means that they believe something false because of you. Usually you trick someone because you want something from them, or because you want them to do something.
- You told me that the movie isn’t scary. You tricked me!
When someone tricks someone, we can say that this is a trick.
- He said he needed help, but it was a trick.
A trick is also a kind of joke, but it’s something that you do, not something that you say. If you play a trick on someone, it means that you do something funny to them.
- “This is salt, not sugar!” “I think someone played a trick on you.”
Or it can be something clever that someone does. They usually do it for other people to watch.
- I don’t know how he does all those magic tricks!
Did you know?
At Halloween, children often go trick or treating. They wear funny clothes and visit different houses. When someone opens the door, the children say, “Trick or treat!” People usually give the children candy (this is the ‘treat’), because if they don’t, the children might play a trick on them!
In pop culture
In this video, you can see children going trick or treating at the White House (where the president of the United States lives)! The children meet Barack Obama, and he gives them candy. One of the children is wearing a Superman costume. What other costumes can you see? What do you think POTUS means?
There are other meanings of trick.
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