WordGarden.iopratfall
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /prˈætfɔːl/
US
- /ˈprætˌfɔl/
Meanings
Noun
an embarrassing blunder or humiliating public failure
a comic fall, especially one performed for laughs on stage or screen
Beyond the definition
A pratfall is not just any fall. It is the kind of clumsy tumble that makes people laugh, usually because no one is badly hurt. Think of Charlie Chaplin slipping on a banana peel or someone tripping over their own feet in a silly moment. The word comes from old slang in which "prat" meant buttocks, because these falls often ended with someone landing hard on their rear.
Pratfalls are common in slapstick comedy, where physical humor matters most. Outside the theater, the word can also describe an embarrassing public mistake. A politician trying to look dignified might have a literal pratfall or make a blunder that feels like one. It is the kind of moment that makes people wince and laugh at the same time.
A pratfall is a humorous fall or stumble, usually with an awkward landing and little or no serious injury. It is more than a simple trip; it is the sort of clumsy spill that people connect with comedy. The term comes from an old slang word, "prat," meaning buttocks, which fits because these falls often end with someone landing on their backside.
Pratfalls are a staple of slapstick comedy, a style of humor built on physical gags and exaggerated movement. Think of classic comedians like Buster Keaton or The Three Stooges; their routines were full of carefully planned pratfalls. While accidental stumbles happen to everyone, a true pratfall is often done on purpose by a performer trying to get a laugh.
However, the term has also moved beyond the stage. It can describe a metaphorical blunder: an embarrassing mistake or a bad slip in judgment that makes someone look foolish. A dignified person having a pratfall is often especially funny because the moment breaks their serious image and shows their human side. You might say a comedy is "full of pratfalls" or that a public figure "took a spectacular pratfall" during a formal speech. It is a light, playful way to describe an awkward tumble or a public misstep that people cannot help noticing.
Examples
- 1
Physical comedy
The clown slipped on the wet floor and turned the accident into a perfect pratfall.
- 2
Stage practice
The actor practiced the pratfall again and again so it would look funny but not dangerous.
- 3
Product launch
The new product launch became a public pratfall when the website crashed in the first hour.
- 4
Campaign mistakes
After several campaign pratfalls, the candidate stopped making jokes at press conferences.
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- pratfallnoun