april fool: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumInformal
Quick answer
What does “april fool” mean?
A person who is tricked or deceived on April Fools' Day (1st April).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who is tricked or deceived on April Fools' Day (1st April).
The trick or hoax itself that is played on someone on April Fools' Day. Can also refer to someone who is easily deceived or gullible more generally, though this is less common.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is identical in both varieties. The holiday is 'April Fools' Day' in both, though sometimes written without the apostrophe ('April Fools Day').
Connotations
Playful, humorous, light-hearted. Associated with a specific calendar date and its traditions.
Frequency
Frequency spikes dramatically around 1st April and is low at other times of the year.
Grammar
How to Use “april fool” in a Sentence
[Someone] plays an April fool on [someone].[Someone] is an April fool.The [news story/joke] was an April fool.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “april fool” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- They managed to April-fool the entire office with the fake memo.
- I've been April-fooled!
American English
- He April-fooled his sister by hiding her phone.
- Did you get April-fooled by that news headline?
adjective
British English
- It was a classic April-fool joke in the newspaper.
- She pulled an April-fool prank on her flatmates.
American English
- The website posted an April-fool story about cats taking over the city.
- His April-fool stunt went viral.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in light-hearted internal communications or marketing stunts on April 1st.
Academic
Virtually never used, except in cultural or sociological studies of holidays and traditions.
Everyday
Common in social and media contexts around April 1st. Used in conversation and news about pranks.
Technical
Not used.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “april fool”
- Writing it as one word ('aprilfool').
- Using it outside the context of April 1st without clear indication.
- Confusing 'April fool' (noun) with 'April Fools' Day' (the holiday name).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
When referring to a person who is tricked, it is 'April fool'. The day itself is 'April Fools' Day' (note the apostrophe).
Yes, informally. For example, 'I April-fooled my friend.' It is often hyphenated when used this way.
Traditionally, pranks should only be played before midday (noon) on April 1st. Playing a joke after noon supposedly makes the trickster the 'April fool'.
The term is specific to Anglophone cultures, but many countries have similar traditions on April 1st with their own names (e.g., 'Poisson d'avril' in France, 'Первое апреля' in Russia).
A person who is tricked or deceived on April Fools' Day (1st April).
April fool is usually informal in register.
April fool: in British English it is pronounced /ˌeɪ.prəl ˈfuːl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌeɪ.prəl ˈfuːl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Don't be an April fool! (A warning on April 1st)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the FOOL in APRIL. The month 'April' sounds a bit like 'a prill' (a small stream), and a fool might fall into a prank as easily as into a stream.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CALENDAR DATE IS A SOURCE OF DECEPTION (The first day of April is personified as a trickster).
Practice
Quiz
What is the most accurate description of an 'April fool'?