trick
trick — noun
1. an action or remark meant to cheat someone, make them look silly, or amuse peopl
an action or remark meant to cheat someone, make them look silly, or amuse people as a form of entertainment.
The email was a trick to get people to share their bank details.
collocation: a trick to [do something]
Minho played a funny trick on his brother by hiding his phone.
Saira realized the offer was just a trick and did not sign the paper.
The children laughed when their little trick fooled the teacher for a moment.
Mert's card trick amazed everyone at the party, even though it was simple.
collocation: card trick
- dirty trick
- cruel trick
- play a trick
- magic trick
- card trick
Usage Note
Often paired with the verb play: play a trick on someone. Also common in fixed compounds such as card trick and magic trick.
Common Mistakes
2. a strange visual result produced when light, colour, or pattern makes your eyes
a strange visual result produced when light, colour, or pattern makes your eyes see something differently from what it really is.
The lines in the drawing create an optical trick that makes them look bent.
collocation: optical trick
Isabela thought she saw water on the road, but it was a trick of the light.
collocation: a trick of the light
The magician used mirrors to create a visual trick for the audience.
A colour trick happens in your eyes when you stare at the bright pattern too long.
- optical trick
- trick of the light
- visual trick
- optical illusion
the standard term for this phenomenon; trick is more informal
- visual illusion
slightly more formal, used in scientific contexts
Usage Note
Fixed phrase a trick of the light is very common. This sense is almost never used with the verb play.
3. the first word of the phrase 'trick or treat', which children call out at Hallow
the first word of the phrase 'trick or treat', which children call out at Halloween when they go from house to house asking for sweets and suggesting they might play a prank if they do not get any.
The children knocked on every door and shouted 'trick or treat!'
fixed phrase: trick or treat
Seven-year-old Camille called out 'trick or treat!' with a big grin, holding a glowing pumpkin bucket.
fixed phrase: trick or treat in a Halloween scene
Lien dressed as a cat and went trick-or-treating with her friends all evening.
phrasal form: go trick-or-treating
A group of children went trick-or-treating on our street, their faces painted like spooky creatures.
- trick or treat
- go trick-or-treating
- trick-or-treat
Usage Note
Almost always used in the fixed expression trick or treat during Halloween. The hyphenated form trick-or-treat functions as a verb or an adjective.
Common Mistakes
4. a clever method that saves time, effort, or money, often gained through experien
a clever method that saves time, effort, or money, often gained through experience.
Femi showed me a good trick for peeling garlic in just a few seconds.
collocation: a trick for [doing something]
The trick to making fluffy rice is to wash it before cooking.
collocation: the trick to [doing something]
Mira learned several cooking tricks from her grandmother over the years.
A useful trick is to keep your keys in the same spot every day.
Owen taught me the trick of folding shirts so they take up less space.
collocation: the trick of [doing something]
- handy trick
- neat trick
- trick of the trade
- trick for
- trick to
Usage Note
Common patterns: trick for + -ing, trick to + -ing, and the trick of + -ing. The definite article the is often used when the method is considered the best or only one.
Common Mistakes
5. a paid sexual service that a sex worker provides to a client.
a paid sexual service that a sex worker provides to a client.
The documentary interviewed several women about their experiences turning tricks.
slang: turn tricks
Lakshmi turned a trick near the bus depot so she could afford a meal that night.
slang: turn a trick with purpose clause
Some former sex workers now campaign for the rights of those still turning tricks.
Her research focused on the health risks faced by women who turn tricks in the city.
- turn tricks
Usage Note
Slang term, only used in contexts related to sex work. Almost always appears in the phrase turn tricks. Not appropriate for general conversation.
6. a person who gives a sex worker money in exchange for sex, or a casual sexual pa
a person who gives a sex worker money in exchange for sex, or a casual sexual partner outside a romantic relationship.
The sex worker told the police that her trick had become aggressive.
slang: trick = paying customer
Shirin waited on the street corner for a trick to approach her.
The undercover officer pretended to be a trick looking for a sex worker.
Most tricks pay in cash and refuse to give their real names.
Usage Note
Slang term used in the context of sex work. Refers to the customer, not the worker. Use with caution; many learners will not encounter this sense.
7. all the cards placed on the table during a single turn of play in games such as
all the cards placed on the table during a single turn of play in games such as bridge, counted toward the score.
Rafael won three tricks in a row and took the lead in the game.
collocation: win a trick
In bridge, each trick contains four cards, one from each player.
Counting your tricks helps you keep the score during the round.
Jin plays carefully, counting every trick before deciding his next move.
- win a trick
- lose a trick
- take a trick
Usage Note
Technical term used in many card games such as bridge, spades, and whist. The expression 'take a trick' means to win a round.
a bag/box of tricks
idiomA collection of methods or tools that someone can use to achieve something.
The chef pulled out his bag of tricks to impress the judges.
Our new manager has a whole box of tricks for increasing sales.
To be behaving in the same dishonest or annoying way as before.
Maya is up to her old tricks, arriving late every day.
After promising to change, Diego was up to his tricks again.
do the trick
idiomTo succeed in solving a problem or achieving a desired result.
A little more salt should do the trick for the soup.
Did that extra practice do the trick for your piano recital?
Every possible method, including dishonest ones, to achieve something.
The salesman tried every trick in the book to close the deal.
Sara used every trick in the book to win the competition.
To have a secret plan or idea ready to use if needed.
Brian always has a trick up his sleeve for emergencies.
The coach has a few more tricks up his sleeve for the final game.
Someone notices every opportunity to gain an advantage.
Aiden doesn't miss a trick when it comes to finding bargains.
Our accountant never misses a trick with tax deductions.
It is very difficult to change someone's long-established habits or methods.
My grandfather refuses to use a smartphone; you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
The company tried to update its software, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
trick or treat
idiomA phrase said by children on Halloween when asking for candy, implying a threat of mischief if none is given.
The children shouted 'trick or treat' at every door on the street.
Maya dressed as a witch and went trick or treating with her friends.
The special skills or knowledge that people in a particular job use to do their work effectively.
The carpenter taught his apprentice all the tricks of the trade.
Knowing the tricks of the trade helps a photographer take better pictures.
turn a trick
idiomTo have sex with someone for payment.
The documentary showed the harsh reality of turning tricks on the street.
She was arrested for turning a trick in the hotel.
trick — verb
1. to cause someone to believe something untrue, usually so that you can get what y
to cause someone to believe something untrue, usually so that you can get what you want from them.
The salesman tried to trick Greta into buying a broken laptop.
pattern: trick [someone] into [doing something]
Élise felt angry when she realized her friend had tricked her.
Do not let the simple design trick you into thinking it is easy to build.
The children tricked their parents by saying they had finished their homework.
Andrew was tricked out of his savings by a fake investment company.
pattern: trick [someone] out of [something]
- trick into
- trick out of
- undeceive
formal and rare; to tell someone the truth after they have been tricked
Grammar Patterns
trick + object
trick + object + into + -ing
Usage Note
Most common patterns: trick someone into doing something (deceive to cause an action) and trick someone out of something (deceive to take something away). The simple transitive form (trick someone) is also common.
Common Mistakes
trick — adjective
1. made or meant to fool people, whether for a joke or to cause them to believe som
made or meant to fool people, whether for a joke or to cause them to believe something wrong.
The test looked simple, but the first two questions were trick questions.
collocation: trick question
Dewi bought a trick candle that would not go out when she blew on it.
collocation: trick candle
The store sold trick mirrors that make the person in them look taller.
Reema laughed at the trick pen that gave a small shock when you tried to write with it.
- trick question
- trick candle
- trick mirror
- deceptive
can be used predicatively; broader, covering any kind of misleading appearance
Grammar Patterns
trick + noun
Usage Note
Attributive only — always placed before the noun it describes (trick candle, not *the candle is trick). Do not confuse with tricky, which means 'difficult, requiring skill or care'.
Common Mistakes
2. relating to a body part, usually a joint, that can unexpectedly lose strength or
relating to a body part, usually a joint, that can unexpectedly lose strength or become painful.
Minho's trick knee sometimes gives out when he walks down stairs.
collocation: trick knee
The runner had to stop because her trick ankle suddenly hurt during the race.
collocation: trick ankle
My grandfather's trick shoulder has bothered him for many years.
Charlotte's trick wrist sometimes locks up when she tries to write.
- trick knee
- trick ankle
- trick shoulder
- unreliable
broader; can describe machines or people, not just body parts
Grammar Patterns
trick + body part
Usage Note
Almost always used with specific body parts. The most common combinations are trick knee and trick ankle. Attributive only — not used after the verb be.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- trickyadjectiveB1
- trickerynounB2
- tricksternounB2
- trick-or-treatverbA2
- trickilyadverbC1
- trickinessnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All four words describe acts intended to mislead, but they differ in seriousness and intent. Deception is the broadest term — it covers any act, from a white lie to a complex scheme, and carries a formal tone. Prank refers to a light-hearted joke played on someone, usually among friends, and is not intended to cause real harm. Hoax describes an elaborate deception aimed at the public or a large group, often designed to create panic or gain attention — a fake news story claiming a celebrity died would be a hoax. Fraud is the most serious: it is a criminal act of lying for financial or legal gain, such as forging a signature or running a fake investment scheme. For everyday situations, choose how serious the deception is: 'The children played a harmless prank on their teacher,' but 'The company was guilty of fraud and had to pay a large fine.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word trick entered English in the 1300s from Old French triche, meaning 'deceit' or 'cheating,' which came from the verb trichier ('to cheat, deceive'). That verb possibly traces back to Latin trīcārī, meaning 'to play tricks or shuffle,' though some scholars link it to a Germanic root. Over time, trick expanded beyond simple cheating to include clever methods, optical illusions, and game terminology, while the core sense of deception has remained central for over 700 years.