Trick — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈtrik/

Meaning & Definition of Trick

Trick (noun)

  1. a crafty procedure or practice meant to deceive or defraud
  2. a mischievous act, prank
  3. a deceptive, dexterous, or ingenious feat; especially, one designed to puzzle or amuse

Trick (verb)

  1. to deceive by cunning or artifice, cheat

Trick (adjective)

  1. of or relating to or involving tricks or trickery
  2. skilled in or used for tricks
  3. somewhat defective and unreliable

Trick (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a clever often underhanded means to achieve an end

    "her husband used every trick in the book to get out of appearing in his parish's fashion show"

    similar: artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, wile, sleight of hand
    related: bluff, end run, feint, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, fraud, gaff, hoax, sham, swindle, blind, front, smoke screen

  2. a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke

    "thought that gluing the silver dollar to the floor and watching him struggle to pick it up would be a good trick"

    similar: antic, caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, knavery, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, prank, rag (chiefly British), roguery, shavie (Scottish), shine(s), waggery
    related: skylarking, adventure, experience, game, lark, time, high jinks, horseplay, play, roughhousing, rowdyism, shenanigan(s), tomfoolery, joking, kidding, teasing, gambit, hoax, maneuver, ploy, deed, feat, mission, performance, stunt, caprice, conceit, fancy, vagary, whim, whimsy, deceit, deception, delusion, fooling, fraud, hanky-panky, hoodwinking, ruse, sham, stratagem, subterfuge, trickery, wile

  3. a usual manner of behaving or doing

    "that deadbeat is up to his usual tricks: once again he's claiming the check is in the mail"

    similar: custom, fashion, habit, habitude, pattern, practice, ritual, second nature, way, wont
    related: addiction, disposition, bent, inclination, proclivity, set, tendency, tenor, turn, bag, convention, form, mode, style, usage, use, deportment, manners, mores, drill, groove, jog trot, regime, regimen, rote, routine, rut, affectation, airs, pose, attribute, characteristic, mark, trait, eccentricity, kink, oddity, peculiarity, quirk, singularity, tic

  4. an act of notable skill, strength, or cleverness

    "it'd be quite a trick to hit that target from here"

    similar: deed, exploit, feat, number, stunt, tour de force
    related: accomplishment, achievement, attainment, coup, success, triumph, adventure, performance

  5. an odd or peculiar habit

    "a dog with the trick of eating cabbage"

    similar: crotchet, curiosity, eccentricity, erraticism, idiosyncrasy, individualism, kink, mannerism, oddity, peculiarity, quiddity, quip, quirk, singularity, tic, twist
    related: affectation, airs, attribute, characteristic, mark, property, trait, custom, habit, pattern, practice, way, wont, addiction, abnormality, neuroticism, perversion, weirdness, disposition, genius, leaning, partiality, bent, inclination, penchant, predilection, predisposition, proclivity, propensity, tendency, turn, attitude, character, humor, identity, individuality, nature, personality, temperament
    near: conformity, sameness

Trick (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "you tricked me into thinking my ex wasn't coming to the party tonight"

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, do a number on, lead one down the garden path, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Trick (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in tricky, sneaky

    similar: artful, crafty, cunning, devious, foxy, guileful, shady, shifty, slick, sly, sneaking, sneaky, subtile, subtle, trickish, tricky, underhand, underhanded, wily, beguiling, deceitful, deceiving, deceptive, deluding, delusive, delusory, fallacious, false, misleading, specious, inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, bewildering, confounding, distracting, perplexing, puzzling, ambidextrous, crooked, defrauding, dishonest, dissembling, double-dealing, duplicitous, faithless, fast, fraudulent, knavish, lying, mendacious, untrustworthy, untruthful, bogus, counterfeit, fake, feigned, forged, jive (slang), phony, sham, spurious, insidious, perfidious, treacherous, ambiguous, circuitous, equivocal, evasive, artificial, backhanded, hypocritical, insincere, left-handed, two-faced
    opposite: aboveboard, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward, candid, direct, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, openhearted, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, clarifying, elucidative, explanatory, illuminating, revealing, revelatory, honest, trustworthy, truthful

Related Entry: Trick (out) (verb)

Trick (out) is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for trick (out), not for trick.

  1. as in dress up, trap

    similar: accessorize, dress up, trap, adorn, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, deck, decorate, do, doll up, do up, drape, dress, embellish, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, festoon, garnish, glitz (up), grace, gussy up, ornament, pretty (up), trim, brighten, freshen, smarten, spruce (up), boss, chase, braid, embroider, feather, figure, filigree, fillet, flounce, frill, fringe, furbelow, garland, hang, lace, ribbon, swag, wreathe, appliqué, gild, paint, diamond, gem, impearl, jewel, pearl, redecorate, redo
    opposite: blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil, simplify, streamline, bare, denude, dismantle, display, divest, expose, reveal, strip, uncover, uglify

Related Entry: Do the trick (phrase)

Do the trick is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for do the trick, not for trick.

  1. to turn out as planned or desired

    "The suggested revisions did the trick, and the updated article was well-received."

    similar: click, come off, deliver, go, go over, pan out, work out, bear fruit, catch fire, deliver the goods, go like clockwork
    related: catch on, flourish, prosper, thrive, cook, percolate
    opposite: bomb, collapse, fail, flop, flunk, fold, founder, miss, strike out, wash out
    near: languish, flounder, struggle, decline, sink, skid, slip, slump, wane, crash, crater, crumble, flame out, choke, crack up, miscarry, misfire, fall down, go under, implode, self-destruct

Related Entry: Done the trick (phrase)

Done the trick is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for done the trick, not for trick.

  1. to turn out as planned or desired

    "The suggested revisions did the trick, and the updated article was well-received."

    similar: clicked, come off, delivered, gone, gone over, panned out, worked out, borne fruit, caught fire, delivered the goods, gone like clockwork
    related: caught on, flourished, prospered, thrived, cooked, percolated
    opposite: bombed, collapsed, failed, flopped, flunked, folded, foundered, missed, struck out, washed out
    near: languished, floundered, struggled, declined, skidded, slipped, slumped, sunk, waned, crashed, cratered, crumbled, flamed out, choked, cracked up, miscarried, misfired, fallen down, gone under, imploded, self-destructed

Related Entry: Did the trick (phrase)

Did the trick is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for did the trick, not for trick.

  1. to turn out as planned or desired

    "The suggested revisions did the trick, and the updated article was well-received."

    similar: came off, clicked, delivered, panned out, went, went over, worked out, bore fruit, caught fire, delivered the goods, went like clockwork
    related: caught on, flourished, prospered, thrived, cooked, percolated
    opposite: bombed, collapsed, failed, flopped, flunked, folded, foundered, missed, struck out, washed out
    near: languished, floundered, struggled, declined, sank, skidded, slipped, slumped, waned, crashed, cratered, crumbled, flamed out, choked, cracked up, miscarried, misfired, fell down, went under, imploded, self-destructed

Related Entry: Does the trick (phrase)

Does the trick is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for does the trick, not for trick.

  1. to turn out as planned or desired

    "The suggested revisions did the trick, and the updated article was well-received."

    similar: clicks, comes off, delivers, goes, goes over, pans out, works out, bears fruit, catches fire, delivers the goods, goes like clockwork
    related: catches on, flourishes, prospers, thrives, cooks, percolates
    opposite: bombs, collapses, fails, flops, flunks, folds, founders, misses, strikes out, washes out
    near: languishes, flounders, struggles, declines, sinks, skids, slips, slumps, wanes, crashes, craters, crumbles, flames out, chokes, cracks up, miscarries, misfires, falls down, goes under, implodes, self-destructs

Related Entry: Doing the trick (phrase)

Doing the trick is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for doing the trick, not for trick.

  1. to turn out as planned or desired

    "The suggested revisions did the trick, and the updated article was well-received."

    similar: clicking, coming off, delivering, going, going over, panning out, working out, bearing fruit, catching fire, delivering the goods, going like clockwork
    related: catching on, flourishing, prospering, thriving, cooking, percolating
    opposite: bombing, collapsing, failing, flopping, flunking, folding, foundering, missing, striking out, washing out
    near: languishing, floundering, struggling, declining, sinking, skidding, slipping, slumping, waning, crashing, cratering, crumbling, flaming out, choking, cracking up, miscarrying, misfiring, falling down, going under, imploding, self-destructing

Related Entry: Turn (verb)

Turn is a different word from Trick. The synonyms below are for turn, not for trick.

  1. to move (something) in a curved or circular path on or as if on an axis

    "turned the doorknob as quietly as possible"

    similar: pivot, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, swing, swirl, swivel, twirl, twist, wheel, whirl
    related: screw, unscrew, twiddle, coil, crank, reel, wind, circulate

  2. to change the course or direction of (something)

    "the dog turned the stampeding flock of sheep around"

    "he turned his cart uphill"

    similar: deflect, divert, redirect, swing, veer, wheel, whip
    related: avert, deviate, move, rechannel, shift, shunt, sidetrack, swerve, switch, transfer, swivel, twist, whirl, zigzag, bend, curve, sway, reverse, turn back

  3. to change one's course or direction

    "we turned left at the light"

    "the storm unexpectedly turned south and missed our area"

    similar: detour, deviate, diverge, sheer, swerve, swing, turn off, veer, wheel
    related: tack, zigzag, double (back), turn back

  4. to eventually have as a state or quality

    "will turn 12 in six months"

    similar: become, come, get, go, grow, run, wax
    related: alter, change, metamorphose, modify, mutate, transfigure, transform, transmute
    near: abide, be, continue, linger, remain, stay

  5. to move in circles around an axis or center

    "the wheels turned, but the car was hopelessly stuck and wasn't moving"

    similar: gyrate, pinwheel, pirouette, revolve, roll, rotate, spin, twirl, wheel, whirl
    related: coil, curl, curve, round, spiral, swirl, twine, twist, wind, circle, circulate, encircle, orbit, ring, pivot, swivel

  6. to give serious and careful thought to

    "turned the question every which way but could find no answer"

    similar: chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, entertain, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), weigh, wrestle (with), beat one's brains out (about), chew on, cudgel one's brains (about), look at
    related: muse (upon), reflect (on or upon), reminisce, analyze, explore, review, conclude, reason, second-guess, speculate (about), brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over), believe, conceive, opine, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in)
    near: disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, dismiss, pooh-pooh, reject

  7. to be determined by, based on, or subject (to)

    "what we do next turns on your answer to the following question"

    similar: depend, hang, hinge, ride
    related: base, establish, found, rest, stay, ground

  8. to be in a confused state as if from being twirled around

    "all the new information made his head turn"

    similar: reel, spin, swim, whirl
    related: swirl
    near: calm, collect, settle, steady

  9. to cause to have often negative opinions formed without sufficient knowledge

    "he did his best to turn his new friends against his ex-wife"

    similar: bias, poison, prejudice
    related: dispose, incline, predispose, influence, prepossess, convince, persuade, suggest

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Trick

The most common words with a similar meaning to Trick:

Chiefly British: rag, have on
Scottish: shavie
Slang: jive
artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, ruse, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, wile, antic, caper, capriccio, dido, escapade, frolic, gag, jest, knavery, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, prank, roguery, shine(s), waggery, custom, fashion, habit, habitude, pattern, practice, ritual

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Trick

Words with the opposite meaning of Trick:

undeceive, aboveboard, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward, candid, direct, foursquare, frank, free-spoken, open, openhearted, outspoken, plain, plainspoken, straight, clarifying, elucidative, explanatory, illuminating, revealing, revelatory, honest, trustworthy, truthful

Related Words for Trick

end run, feint, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, fraud, swindle, blind, front, smoke screen, skylarking, adventure, experience, game, lark, time, high jinks, horseplay

Near Antonyms of Trick

conformity, sameness, debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

Word Forms of Trick

Inflections: tricks, tricked, tricking

Origin & Etymology of Trick

Middle English trikke, from Anglo-French *trik, from trikier to deceive, cheat, from Vulgar Latin *triccare, alteration of Latin tricari to behave evasively, shuffle, from tricae complications, trifles

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Trick

Words & Phrases Containing Trick

trick or treat, trick out, trick into, trick of the light, trick of the/one's trade, trick out of, trick photography

Frequently Asked Questions about Trick

What does "Trick" mean?

"Trick" means a crafty procedure or practice meant to deceive or defraud. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: a crafty procedure or practice meant to deceive or defraud. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Trick"?

Other words for "Trick" include artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick and jig. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Trick" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Trick"?

There are 308 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Trick". Common alternatives include artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle and knack.

What is the opposite of "Trick"?

Antonyms of "Trick" include undeceive, aboveboard, forthright, nondeceptive, straightforward, candid, direct and foursquare. Near antonyms include conformity, sameness, debunk and expose.

How do you use "Trick" in a sentence?

Examples of "Trick" in a sentence: "her husband used every trick in the book to get out of appearing in his parish's fashion show"; "thought that gluing the silver dollar to the floor and watching him struggle to pick it up would be a good trick"; "that deadbeat is up to his usual tricks: once again he's claiming the check is in the mail".

Is "Trick" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Trick" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Trick" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Trick" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Trick"?

"Trick" is pronounced /ˈtrik/.